


Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon

by G_man672



Category: Sailor Moon
Genre: Action, Blood and Violence, Combines Anime & Manga Elements, Comedy, F/F, F/M, M/M, Minor Character Changes, Romance, Slow Romance, Yaoi, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-11 04:17:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 57,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15307326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/G_man672/pseuds/G_man672
Summary: A reimagining of the Dark Kingdom Arc of Sailor Moon. Schoolgirl Usagi Tsukino's life is forever changed one day when she meets a talking cat named Luna and transforms into Sailor Moon. Now a superheroine, she must fight the evil forces of the Dark Kingdom to save the world from destruction at the hands of Queen Metalia.





	1. Legend of the Moon

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter of my reimagining of the Dark Kingdom arc of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. It will have all the characters and plot points we are familiar it's, but changes will be made to them. I am changing the personalities of some characters to give them new development and give the group a new dynamic when it all comes together. Certain characters who'll not be introduced in this first chapter, but don't worry, haven't forgotten about them (except Umino, he will not be included. Apologies to anyone who actually liked him for some reason...) Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Legend of the Moon

On any other day, the moon shone bright and beautiful like the Sun itself. It’s beauty was like that of a jewel floating in the cosmos. On this day, however, it shone with the dark crimson color of blood. Two opposing armies clashed, each side hoping to eradicate the other. Swords cut off heads, spears skewered torsos, and arrows pierced hearts, causing the once shiny and silvery surface of the moon to turn a deep shade of red, as if Heaven itself were turning into Hell.

The Princess of the Moon looked on in horror at the violent scene before her. The moon was supposed to be a peaceful place; a place where no quarrels existed and everyone loved each other. What had happened to her beautiful kingdom? She feared for the safety of her Guardians. They were fierce fighters, but the sheer number of enemies might be too much for them. And what of her mother? Would the confines heavily guarded throne room really be able to hold off the enemy? The anxiety and stress of everything happening around her brought tears to her eyes and caused her heart to tighten. Why did this have to happen? Why?!

Suddenly, the Princess heard a pair of heavy footsteps approaching from behind her. She whirled around, fearing she would be face-to-face with an enemy soldier. However, her heart leapt for joy at the sight of who was actually was approaching. It was her prince, her love, her destiny. He was the only one who could bring comfort to her in this dire time.The Prince was covered in wounds; his armor had been battered, his body was scarred, and his sword was coated in blood. But the important thing was that he was alive, and Princess couldn’t be happier because of that fact. She ran into her Prince’s arms and they embraced, holding each other tighter than they ever had before, as if somehow their love would end this brutal conflict. Just when all seemed at peace for the two lovers, they felt something go straight through them. It was like a tiny sting at first, but it quickly erupted into a searing pain, as if a fire had been ignited inside their bodies. The two looked down to see a sword had been thrust into the Prince’s back, and had subsequently come out the other side and skewered the Princess as well. The two looked into each other’s eyes, realizing they were doomed. So this was how their story ended. They leaned in and captured one another’s lips one last time. The pain from the stab wound subsided, and everything became numb. Then, as the two deepened their kiss, darkness overtook the star-crossed lovers, and everything became cold.

* * *

 “WAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHH! I’M SO LATE!!!”

As the sun ascended over the horizon, a small, yet screeching voice erupted from a neighborhood household. Usagi Tsukino was late for school… again.

“Moooom! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!” The young girl cried out as she leapt from her bed and yanked her school uniform off the hangar.

Mrs. Tsukino rolled her eyes from the kitchen downstairs. “I did, but you just told me to go away so you could get back to making out with the prince.” The woman was used to her daughter waking up late for school, but she was in eighth grade now. High school would be here before she knew it and she knew they wouldn’t be as merciful for Usagi being late. At this point, she was considering getting a shock collar to “assist” her daughter in waking up.

Usagi scrambled around upstairs like rat navigating a maze. She barely managed to do her hair up in a pair of signature buns that she had worn most of her life. Her school uniform was wrinkled from her wrestling it onto her body, and her backpack was left unzipped as she dashed towards the stairs. Some demented force apparently wanted her to move faster, as she slipped on the first step and traveled the rest of the way down on her rear, miraculously not fracturing her coccyx.

“Owowow! That huuuuurt!!!” Even though she didn’t really fall that hard, Usagi was blubbering like she had just had a limb amputated.

“Maybe if you got up earlier, you wouldn’t have to break your butt coming downstairs every morning…” Usagi's little brother Shingo walked in, giving his daily advice/sarcastic remark to his klutzy big sis.

Usagi’s forehead popped a vein as she glared at her brother. “Shingo, I swear! In a trunk, off a cliff!” She leapt off the floor and headed for the kitchen. “You’re so lucky you don’t have to go to school as early as I do!”

With that said, Usagi rushed into the kitchen, snagged her lunch off the counter, and gave her mom a quick peck on the cheek as she whizzed by. “Bye mom! Love you more than anything in the whole wide world!” Before Mrs. Tsukino could respond, the front door was opened and closed in what had to be a millisecond.

“Screwed doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m going to be when I get there!” Usagi whined as she sprinted down the street as fast as her petite legs could carry her. Just as she was beginning to reach her top speed, a small black cat stepped out on the sidewalk in front of her, making her stop dead in her tracks.

“Oh no, a black cat! That’s eight years of bad luck if I cross its path!” She watched as the cat came to a stop, turning its head toward Usagi as she muttered to herself. “Okay, now just stay where you while I walk around--” He speech was cut short when she noticed the cat was staring directly into her eyes. Suddenly, Usagi felt like she was in a trance. The back of her mind told her to move it or be late again, but her body told her to hold still. She found herself in what could only be described as a waking state of sleep paralysis, as the cat’s eyes bored deeper and deeper into her own.

Out of nowhere, a bell rang in the distance, signaling the beginning of the school day. “Waugh! What the heck am I doing?! Now I’m gonna be super late!” She continued on her way down the sidewalk, mentally chastising herself for crossing the cat’s path. “Oh well, I've lived with bad luck all my life, I can deal with another eight years,” she thought to herself as reassurance. She didn't noticed that the cat never took its eyes off her, even after she was several blocks away.

* * *

 Icy winds sent enormous drifts of snow crashing into a tall stone structure. A large castle sat freezing in the middle of the Arctic, obscured to the eyes of any passing creature by a blinding downpour of snow. Any living thing unfortunate enough to wander to close was incinerated by a barrier of dark energy.

Within the dark halls of the castle, a larger marble door creaked open, revealing a tall man with long, white hair. He wore a white uniform with black patterns lining the creases. A small rectangular silver gem stuck out of his forehead. The man walked into the room, silent as a mouse, and took a knee in front of a glass sphere. Inside the sphere, a black and purple mass swirled about, while a demonic whisper emitted from it.

“Kunzite, what do you have to report?” The mass said suddenly in a deep, foreboding voice.

“I have unfortunate news, Queen Metalia. The monster I sent to Osaka last night was destroyed by that heroine Sailor V. I believe it is time we changed our tactics,” the man said stoically.

“And what exactly is this change you have in mind?” Queen Metalia said softly.

Kunzite looked up to the sphere with a look of determination. “I believe we should temporarily halt our quest for human energy and focus on killing Sailor V herself before she--”

“NO!!!” Metalia interrupted in a booming voice, now sounding angry. “We cannot afford to halt our intake of human energy even for a day! I am as weak as I can be, and I must continue to feed on the human energy if I ever hope to reach my full power again. I feel I have been very clear on this before.”

“Y-yes… my Queen. Forgive me,” Kunzite said weakly.

Queen Metalia sighed. “Perhaps we can change tactics in another way. Send another monster to Tokyo. That city is far away enough from Osaka that we should have a full night’s worth of energy without Sailor V interfering.”

“Brilliant, my Queen! I shall send out my monster Arachnia at once!” Kunzite said, standing up and placing a fist over his chest.

“Excellent. Make it so, Kunzite,” Metalia said, cuing the knight to exit her presence. Kunzite walked backwards out of the room, the heavy marble doors slamming shut in front of him.

Kunzite made his way down the freezing cold hallway towards the barracks, where his monsters lay in wait for his orders. As Kunzite strode along at a leisurely pace, a soft voice suddenly echoed out of the darkness.

“Kunzite… zite… zite…”

The stoic man stopped for a moment, scanning his surroundings. He appeared to be alone, so he continued on his way.

“Kunzite… zite… zite…”

Upon hearing the voice again, Kunzite turned around, ready to confront whoever had the impudence to stalk him. He was greeted only with the black hole that was the opposite direction of the hall. Sighing to himself, he turned back around.

“KUNZITE!!!”

A man with short blonde hair suddenly leapt out at Kunzite as he turned around, screaming his name into his face. Even though Kunzite appeared unfazed, the other man laughed maniacally at his sick joke.

“What do you want, Jadeite?” Kunzite said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“Oh, nothing,” Jadeite said, still calming down from laughing. “I'm just practicing my ‘fear factor.’ What do you think?” he said, gesturing in mock courtesy to Kunzite.

“It was frightening the first 178 times. Now it just irritates me,” Kunzite said in a sharper tone, as if trying to make a point to Jadeite.

“Aw, you've been keeping track. I'm touched,” Jadeite cooed, batting his eyes at the annoyed Kunzite.

“Perhaps you should practice your fighting prowess instead of playing these little games of yours,” Kunzite said.

Jadeite giggled at this statement. “Well, you see, that's why we're partners. When it comes to brute strength, your clearly have me outmatched. But without my stealth and strategy, you wouldn't stand a chance. It's best to break our enemies’ minds as well as their bodies, you know.”

Kunzite suddenly towered over Jadeite, staring down at him with anger burning in his eyes. “Do not even begin to suggest that your mind is superior to mine!” he snarled.

Jadeite gasped. “You honestly think I would suggest such a thing? That hurts my feelings, brother!” He began laughing again, not even flinching at Kunzite’s aggressive advances.

Kunzite backed off and sneered, regaining his composure. “Have you seen Nephrite or Zoisite anywhere?”

Jadeite laughed at this. “Ha! Those two? Last I saw them, they were going out to gaze at the stars together! Oh, they are just precious!”

“I wish they would spend more time on their mission and less on each other…” Kunzite sighed.

“You should take your own advice, given your infatuation with that Sailor V girl!” Jadeite said under his breath.

Obviously hearing what he said, Kunzite grabbed Jadeite by the collar and slammed him against the wall. “WATCH YOUR TONGUE!!!”

Jadeite quickly held up a finger and shook it. “Ah-ah! Temper, temper! Remember how the Queen reacted when Nephrite and Zoisite had that little quarrel? I'd hate to see how she would feel about us fighting!” Jadeite burst out laughing again, causing Kunzite to toss him aside.

“Get out of my sight,” he growled as he stomped down the hall.

“You say that as you walk away from me… how adorable!” Jadeite whispered before slithering back into the shadows.

After that frustrating encounter, Kunzite finally reached the barracks. He swung the door open and marched inside. The numerous monsters that now surrounded him ceased their snarling and squabbling, immediately going silent as their master entered the room. Kunzite glanced around at the abominations that made up his army. Most of them were humanoid, with bodies ranging from muscular and bulky to slim and spindly. Their heads were a mash of different animals, creating visages that could only have come from children's nightmares.

“Arachnia! Come forth!” Kunzite announced suddenly. In a split second, a long, sleek shadow leapt down from the ceiling, but stayed hidden in the shadows.

“Yes, Master Kunzite?” a low, hissing feminine voice spoke from the darkness.

“I have a task for you. It is of great importance, so make sure you do not fail…”

* * *

Usagi stood outside her classroom, unable to enter due to the period already having started. “Man, every time!” she whined to herself. She looked up and down the halls, as if checking for anyone else. “Well, since I didn’t have breakfast, I might as well settle for an early lunch.”

She reached into her backpack and took out the lunch her mother packed for her. The first thing she took out was a small rice ball, and she licked her lips at the sight of it. She raised it to her mouth to take a bite, when out of the blue the classroom door opened.

“Mind if I have a bite?” A tall red-haired woman stood in the doorway, scowling down at the tiny blonde girl.

“M-Ms. Sakurada!!!” Usagi stumbled over her words as she faced her teacher, struggling to come up with a new excuse for today. “I.. uh… I--”

“You know, your behavior is what gets you grades like this, young lady!” Sakurada exclaimed as she thrust a piece of paper into Usagi’s face. Most of it was gibberish to the young girl, but what stuck out like a sore thumb was the big number 30 written in red pen at the top. It was also circled and underlined several times, as if deliberately trying to rub salt in the wound.

As Usagi stared at the paper in horror, her teacher made her way back into the classroom. “Maybe you can think about your future for the rest of the period!” With that, the door slammed shut and Usagi was left alone in the hall once again.

“Mom is gonna kill me if she sees this!” An idea quickly entered her head. “Then I just won’t bring it home!” She crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it behind her, but she was caught off guard when she heard it hit something. Instantly, she felt another presence behind her.

Usagi whirled around, clapping her hands together as if she was going to start begging for forgiveness. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to--”

“A thirty? You’ve got to be kidding.” A soft male vice interrupted. “You should probably study harder, Bun-Head.”

Usagi’s face suddenly warped with rage at the sound of the embarrassing nickname. “Why… you…” She reached forward and snatched the test out of the boys hands. “Just who do you think you are?!”

The tall boy looked down at her. He had black, neatly combed hair and wore the boys’ school uniform. He also sported a pair of sunglasses, but behind them, Usagi could make out a pair of jet black eyes. Normally, she would have found a boy like this attractive, if she weren't already so turned off by his comment from a moment ago.

“Nice to meet you. My name’s Mamoru Chiba. I just transferred here a few weeks ago. What’s your name, Bun-Head?” he said politely. However, Usagi was less than willing to return his kind approach.

“Stop calling me that! My name is Usagi, not Bun-Head!” Usagi said fiercely to Mamoru, who simply smiled back at her.

“Oh. Well, Usagi, are you in eighth grade too? I could probably tutor you if we have any of the same classes--” Mamoru began before Usagi cut him off again.

“Get real! I would never be tutored by a jerk like you! Get lost, weirdo!” Usagi shouted before marching off down the hall, mumbling under her breath. “Stupid jerk… who wear sunglasses indoors anyway?”

Mamoru’s eyes followed the girl for a moment, until he eventually shrugged and headed in the opposite direction towards his next class.

* * *

Usagi sat on a bench in the courtyard of her school, staring down sadly at the degrading mark on her test. “Man, Shingo is gonna have a field day with this one…”

From across the courtyard, Usagi heard the sound of girls laughing. At the center of the group, she saw her friend Naru holding her mobile phone, which everyone appeared to be watching something on. Usagi strolled over to them and broke into the group.

“Hey Naru! What’re you guys watching?” Usagi asked curiously.

Naru looked up at her blonde friends and beamed. “Usagi! I’ve been wanting to show this to you! Check it out!” Naru moved her phone so that Usagi could see the screen. On it was a video of a girl in a sailor suit beating up a large reptilian monster. “Sailor V took down another monster in Osaka last night, and someone actually caught it on video this time! Isn’t it awesome?!”

Usagi simply looked down and sighed. “Yeah, it’s pretty awesome…”

Naru looked worriedly at her best friend. “What's wrong girl? I thought you’d be all over this! I mean, it’s Sailor V for crying out loud!”

“Sorry, I’m just dreading going home today. I got a bad grade on my last test and I know my mom is gonna kill me for it.” Usagi showed her test to Naru, who quickly began looking as glum as her friend.

“Dang, that sucks.” Then, just as quickly as her expression dropped, it suddenly lit back up again and she grabbed Usagi’s hands. “I’ve got it! Mama Naru’s got the perfect Tesititis cure for you, girlfriend!”

Usagi looked up curiously. “Really? What is it? Tell me! Tell me!”

“My mom is having a huge blowout sale at the jewelry store she owns! Everything is like seventy-five percent off!” Naru cheered.

Usagi’s frown turned upside down at this news. “No way! That’s incredible! You mean we’re going there after school?”

“Now why would I say such a thing if we weren't? Don’t you trust your Mama Naru?” Naru said, batting her eyelashes.

“Ooo, this is so exciting! I can’t wait!” The Bun-Headed blonde squealed, seeming to have forgotten all about her test.

* * *

After school was over, Usagi and Naru practically raced each other to the jewelry store. They burst through the glass doors, only to be greeted by a mad crowd of women who were at war over the display cases. The cases themselves were lined with necklaces, bracelets, and rings of all shapes and sizes that sparkled like stars. Women, pushed, shoved, and tackle each other to get at the best prices. Meanwhile, a woman with a loudspeaker stood at the edge of the crowd with a megaphone in hand.

“Now, don’t be greedy, everyone! Remember, everything is seventy-five percent off, but only for today! So take your time and pick out whatever you want!” the woman said into the megaphone, before dropping it and grinning to herself. “And once you’ve bought all your precious jewelry, I’ll use it to drain your energy for my great ruler! Soon you shall all bow before her!”

“Hi, mom!” Naru seemed to have snuck up behind her mother and was now placing hand on her shoulder, startling the woman. “Were you saying something?”

Naru’s “mother” struggled to regain her composure. “Oh, um… of course not, dear! I’m just really excited about this sale, that’s all!”

“Uh… okay,” Naru said, a little confused. “Oh, mom, you remember Usagi, right?”

“But of course! How could I forget?” She ran up to Usagi and took her hand, leading her over to the counter. “In fact, since you’re Naru’s best friend, I’ll be sure to give you a special discount!”

Usagi’s face lit up. “Really?! Oh boy, this day just can’t get any better!” The girl joined the crowd of rioting women, while Naru stood back and giggled to herself. She wasn’t used to seeing her mother act like this. But like she said, she was probably just excited about the sale.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a small black cat watched the scene from outside the store. However, its eyes appeared to be stuck on a certain blonde Bun-Head…

* * *

Usagi strolled happily up her front steps, now bearing a cute bracelet on her right wrist. “Oh my gosh, this is so beautiful! I totally owe Naru big time for this!” The girl walked through her front door, still admiring the bracelet, but her celebration was cut short when she bumped into her mother, who was glaring down at her like a certain teacher had earlier that day. “Uh… hey mom! How was your day?”

“Well, it was going just fine. That is, until I got an email from Ms. Sakurada about a certain test score.” It was at this moment the Usagi knew she screwed up. “A THIRTY?! Are you kidding me, Usagi? It’s bad enough that your tardy count is off the charts, but now your grades are literally dropping off the charts!”

“M-Mom, wait… I can, uh…” Usagi stuttered, trying to think of something to say.

“No excuses, young lady! This is the last straw! Get up to your room right now and don’t come out for the rest of the night!” She stabbed a finger towards the stairs. Usagi didn't question this at all, as she slowly began sulking up to her room. “And I had better not come in there and find you reading manga instead of your textbooks!”

“Aw, but moooom!” Usagi began to whine.

“No buts! Room, NOW!” Mrs. Tsukino shouted at her daughter. Defeated, Usagi continued on her way upstairs, her eyes now swirling with unshed tears.

As she made her way down the upstairs hall towards her room, Shingo stuck his head out of his room and clicked his tongue at her. “You failed another test, didn't you?”

Usagi whirled around and glared at her obnoxious little brother. “I don't need this right now, Shingo!”

Shingo sighed and clicked his tongue again. “Man, I wish I didn't have a sister who’s such a loser…” That was enough set Usagi off.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it now, you little brat!” Usagi began winding up her leg, ready to lash out at Shingo. “SAILOR V KICK!!!” She swung her leg at the little twerp, but it was too late. Shingo closed his door just in time, causing Usagi to drive her foot into it instead. Pain shot up her leg like a thousand needles being stabbed into her. She began wailing and crying, complaining over and over how much it hurt. The whole household had to plug their ears to make sure they didn’t lose their hearing.

* * *

Back at the jewelry store, Naru’s mother stood in the middle of the room, grinning a malicious grin. “And now, I will use all the jewelry bought today to gather energy for our great ruler!”

She raised a hand to the sky, causing an orb of dark energy to manifest in her palm. At that moment, from all over the city, everyone who had bought something from the store that day began to feel weak. The had no idea of what was really happening to them. Their life was slowly being drained away, collected into the dark orb.

“Foolish humans and their greedy ways…” Naru’s “mother” hissed under her breath.

“Mom?!”

The imposter turned around to see Naru standing behind her, a shocked and terrified look on her face. “What are you doing?”

“I have no time for distractions!” The imposter temporarily halted her activity and turned towards Naru. Her body began to bend and contort unnaturally. Her limbs grew to disgusting lengths and her hands stretched into sharp clawed pincers. Her outfit changed as well, changing into a black short-front long-back dress that resembled the thorax of a black widow spider. Finally, her mouth grew a pair of spider-like mandibles and six extra eyes appeared on her face.

Naru could only stare at the horrific sight before her. What was once her mother was now a humanoid spider creature, with a sticky white silk oozing from its mouth. “What are you? Where’s my mom?”

“Your mother is in the basement, safely trussed up in my webs. And now, young Naru, prepare to join her!” The monster known as Arachnia lunged at Naru, causing the mortified girl to let out a scream of terror as it swung a clawed pincer at her.

* * *

Usagi was woken up with a jolt and she sat up in her bed. She had fallen asleep in her room soon after her scuffle with her mother and Shingo. But just as she had begun to drift off, a sharp pain crossed her arm, causing her to wake up suddenly.

“Ow! What the heck was that?” She looked down at the red mark on her arm, and quickly noticed the bracelet she had bought earlier that day was now sitting on her bed in pieces. “Oh no, my bracelet!” She began to reach for the remnants of the piece of jewelry, but a voice stopped her.

“Don’t touch that!” it said firmly.

Usagi looked around, confused. “Who said that?” The answer came in the form of a silhouette perched on her windowsill. As she squinted to drown out the moonlight surrounding it, she saw that it was the black cat she had encountered that morning. Only now that it was closer, she noticed what appeared to be an upside-down crescent moon emblazoned on its forehead.

As soon as she realized what was happening, Usagi jumped out of her bed and threw herself against the wall as if she were being cornered by a predator. “Did… did you just talk?!”

“I did. Why, is that odd?” the cat asked casually.

Usagi stared wide eyed, half in amazement, half in fear. “Odd?! Cats don't talk! They can't talk!”

The cat sighed. “ Well, I'm talking, aren't I?”

“This is… this is unreal… do you have name?” Usagi asked.

“Of course. My name is Luna. And you are Usagi Tsukino,” the cat answered, smiling.

“You know my name?! But… how?” Before Luna could answer, Usagi noticed the broken bracelet on her bed. “Wait, did you do that to my bracelet?”

“Yes. Forgive me, but I had to. That bracelet was infused with an evil energy that would have--” Luna began before Usagi cut her off.

“I don’t care what it was ‘ensued’ with! I got this from a one-time blowout sale! You'd better pay me back for this!” Usagi rambled on, becoming more and more whiny with each sentence she finished.

“I don’t have any…” Luna began before stopping herself, an idea occurring in her head. “Actually, I can pay you back right now!” The black cat narrowed her eyes and the moon on her forehead began to glow. The resulting ray of light compressed a few feet in front of her, causing a shiny golden brooch to materialize in the air. The light subsided and the brooch dropped onto the bed, ruffling the sheets.

Usagi’s eyes went wide with joy at the sight of the new piece of jewelry. “Oh my gosh! A brooch! It’s so pretty!” She practically threw herself at the brooch and picked it up, running over to the mirror on her vanity table. She quickly attached the brooch to the bow and began admiring herself. “Thank you so much, Luna! I love it!” As she adjusted the brooch, it suddenly began to glow brightly, shining like a small star. “W-what? It’s glowing?!”

Luna smiled. “Now listen to me, Usagi! Repeat these words as loud as you can: Moon Prism Power, Make Up!”

Usagi hesitated for a moment. “M-Moon…” Then, something in the recesses of her mind clicked, compelling her to say the words as loud as her tiny lungs would allow.

“MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

A brilliant bright light exploded from the brooch and enveloped Usagi, lifting her slightly into the air. Beautiful streams of pink ribbons materialized out of the light and wrapped around Usagi’s torso, arms, and legs, forming a sailor uniform, as well as a pair of gloves and boots. She did a cute little twirl in the air, causing a light blue skirt to fluff out of her waist. A bright pink bow poofed out of her chest, followed by a pair of earrings blinking onto her earlobes. Finally, an elegant golden tiara with a small red gem at the center of it formed on her forehead. Her transformation now complete, she unconsciously placed a hand on her hip and flashed a V-sign over her eyes. The young girl drifted back down to the ground, slowly taking in what had just occurred.

“I… I don’t believe this! What happened to me?!” Usagi stammered.

Luna’s smiled grew even wider, clearly proud of her work. “I knew it! You are the one I’ve been searching for, Usagi! You are the pretty soldier, Sailor Moon!”

“That doesn’t answer my question! What happened to me? It felt like I was in there for five minutes!” Usagi squealed, confused.

Luna raised an eyebrow. “The transformation only took about three seconds…”

Usagi’s eyes grew even wider. “Okay that doesn’t make any--” Before she could finish, her brooch began flashing red. A panicked cry or help emitted from it as well. “That voice… that sounds like Naru!”

“She’s in danger, Usagi! You have to go help her!” Luna said confidently.

“Me? What can I do? I’m just a little girl!” Usagi cried.

Luna stared sternly at the blonde girl. “Now that you are a Sailor Soldier, you possess powers beyond anything you thought possible! You can help your friend! Trust me.”

* * *

Arachnia let out a demonic cackle as she wrapped Naru up in a thick, silky web prison. The red-headed girl struggled to get free, but she was trussed up to a point where she could scarcely move or speak. “Struggling is pointless, you pathetic human!” Arachnia spat. “Just relax and accept you fate! It will only hurt for a moment…”

Naru looked up at the abominable female creature. The thing laughed in her face as she was fighting for her life, as if it enjoyed seeing her squirm. This wasn’t right, she didn’t want to die tonight! There was so much more she wanted to do with her life. And now that she was on the brink of death, something at the back of her mind told her that she still had a purpose to fulfill…

“Stop right there!” a young, high-pitched shouted at the monster.

Arachnia twisted her head around to face the silhouette now standing in the doorway of the jewelry store. She squinted all eight of her eyes, making out the figure to be a petite blonde girl in a sailor suit with a pair of buns and pigtails in her hair. “Who the hell are you?!” she hissed.

“Me? I’m… um…” The girl struggled to find her words, but once again, a voice buried deep in her subconscious told her exactly what to say.

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I’LL PUNISH YOU!!!”

For a brief moment, Arachnia stared at the blonde heroine in confusion, until she finally let out a noise that sounded halfway between a hiss and a click. “I don’t have time for this! Minions! Come forth and kill this girl!”

From all around the store, women with glowing red eyes began popping up. Sailor Moon saw they were wearing expensive pieces of jewelry, likely what they had purchased from the sale this afternoon. She was suddenly really glad Luna destroyed her bracelet. She wasn’t so glad, however, when the women began to collectively lunge at her, obviously with the intention to carry out Arachnia’s orders. Sailor Moon dove to the floor, allowing the woman closest to her to glide past. She let out a sigh of relief, but tensed up again as she saw a huge crowd of possessed women charging at her. Sailor Moon screamed and began running all over the store, clumsily dodging any women that got too close. Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough to dodge a tall, slender woman who reached out and clawed at her with long pink-painted fingernails. The nails caught Sailor Moon’s arm and left four light but bloody scratches in their wake. The girl let out a scream, half surprised and half in pain. From a nearby windowsill, Luna sat and watched anxiously.

“What are you doing, Sailor Moon?” Luna called out. “You have to fight them!”

Sailor Moon looked at Luna with tears in her eyes. “I can’t! I’m too scared!”

Luna rolled her eyes. This was not what she expected from who was supposed to be the legendary soldier she had been searching for for years. “Just throw a punch! If you don’t fight back, they’ll kill you!”

Sailor Moon stood still as a statue, trying to pull herself together. She knew what Luna said was true, but she didn’t want to fight these women knowing they were simply innocent people under Arachnia’s control. She was snapped back to reality when she saw the same tall woman who had clawed her moments ago rushing at her again. Acting on instinct, Sailor Moon lashed out with her left foot and drove it into the woman’s stomach, knocking the wind out of her. The woman collapsed to the ground, unconscious from the blow. Sailor Moon couldn’t believe what just happened. She had knocked out an adult with just one kick! The realization came to her that her transformation had made her a lot stronger than she was as an ordinary girl.

Luna smiled. “Good job! Now keep going! Here come the rest!”

Sailor Moon looked up to see the rest of the women charging at her, groaning like a horde of zombies. Even though Sailor Moon knew she could defend herself now, a sick feeling in her stomach washed over her. She couldn't hurt these people! Even if they were possessed and trying to kill her, she just didn’t have the heart to inflict pain on anyone.

“I… I can’t do this! I don’t want to hurt anybody, it’s wrong! Why do I have to do this? Why me?!” Sailor Moon wailed.

The girl’s incessant whining quickly turned into crying; very loud crying. Luna rolled her eyes. Perhaps this wasn’t the person she was looking for after all. Just then, as Sailor Moon’s vocal cords reached their peak, the tiara on her forehead began to glow brightly. As the girl continued to bawl, ear-piercing sonic waves erupted from her tiara, shaking the entire building, shattering glass cases and windows, and paralyzing everyone in the room, including Naru and Arachnia. The sound was so strong that it caused Naru and all the possessed women to fall unconscious. As the noise subsided, Arachnia looked up, her ears ringing to the point of near deafness. She saw that her army of greedy humans was on the ground and Sailor Moon was still standing.

“Why you…” Arachnia growled. “I shall kill you myself if I must!”

The spider woman leapt out from behind the counter and sprinted towards Sailor Moon, silk drooling from her mouth and pincers bared, ready to tear the girl to pieces. Sailor Moon saw the monster approaching fast and tensed up, ready to start crying again. Luna saw what was happening and panicked. But after seeing how the tiara had reacted to the girl’s crying she was more convinced than ever.

“Sailor Moon, you must act fast! Throw your tiara at her and shout ‘Moon Tiara Boomerang!’” Luna ordered the blonde girl.

Sailor Moon snapped out of her crying state and did as she was told. She took the tiara off her forehead and held it out in front of her. It glowed for a moment before it transformed into a sharp circular disk. As Sailor Moon stared at the newly formed weapon in her palm, the unknown presence in her mind called out to her, instructing her exactly what to do.

“MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!!!”

The blonde heroine reared back and hurled the disc at Arachnia. The spider woman spat a stream of silk out of her mouth aimed at Sailor Moon, but the golden tiara cut straight through the strong fiber. Arachnia could only stare in horror as the disc got closer and closer, until it finally reached her, slicing into her neck and decapitating her on the spot. No sooner was her head separated from her body did she begin to turn grey and dissolve into ashes. Within second, she was nothing more than a pile of dust on the floor.

Sailor Moon stared in astonishment at the gruesome sight before her. It was like something out of a horror movie. But then, a more important thought occurred to her: it was over. In a flash, the tiara reappeared of her forehead. She reached up and touched it, wondering how it had gotten back up there. Then again, nothing else that happened tonight made any sense, so she decided to not question it. Luna hoped down from the windowsill and pranced over to Sailor Moon, a huge grin plastered on her face.

“I knew it! You are the one I’ve been looking for!” she beamed.

Sailor Moon looked down at the black cat and raised an eyebrow. “The one you’ve been looking for?”

Luna continued to ramble. “Yes! You are the reincarnation of an ancient warrior who lived on the moon! That girl was Sailor Moon, the pretty soldier of love and justice, leader of the Moon Princess’ royal guard. Usagi, you’re that girl!”

Sailor Moon couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was she really a reincarnated warrior from the moon? Was she an alien? As millions of questions pooled into her mind, she noticed her shadow being cast on the marble floor. She looked up to the highest window in the store to see the moon itself shining through the window. The girl stared up at it in awe. Amongst the flood of questions swimming through her brain, she found a funny feeling tickling the back of her conscience. She didn’t know what it was, but the feeling weighed down on her like a mountain on her shoulders. Usagi knew in this moment, her life would be changed forever. She was a hero, just like Sailor V, just like all those manga she had read, and just like that girl she had been all those millennia ago.

Little did the young girl realize, but just outside the store, a tall, handsomely dressed man was watching her through the display window. He wore a dark tuxedo, a top hat, and red and black cape. However, his most eye-catching feature was a white masquerade mask that covered his eyes. He stared at the girl for another moment, before turning around and running off into the night, never to be seen by anyone.

 

_~A Suivre~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this was pretty much just the first manga chapter/anime episode all over again, but hey, gotta start somewhere! It'll mostly be new content from here on out, with the exception of manga chapters I adapt, of course!  
> Feel free to leave a review :)


	2. The Mysterious Tuxedo Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! Any characters I neglected to introduce in Chapter 1 will most likely be introduced here, especially a certain tuxedo-wearing hero we all know and love.
> 
> P.S. This story is already up on fanfiction dot net, so these first couple chapters will come out relatively fast.

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Tuxedo Mask

“And then, just when I thought I was done for, Sailor Moon appeared out of nowhere and saved me!” It was the beginning of a new school day, and Naru was all too eager to share the thrilling story about how she been rescued from the grasp of Arachnia by Sailor Moon. Her friends listened intently, some in pure astonishment, others in serious doubt.

“Are you sure about that?” a girl with short brown hair questioned. “I mean, the part about the monster I can believe, it was all over the news this morning. But who’s this Sailor Moon you keep mentioning? Are you sure it wasn’t Sailor V?”

“I thought so too at first,” Naru quickly answered. “But she clearly said that her name was Sailor Moon. Plus, Sailor V lives all the way in Osaka! You think she knew another monster would appear in Tokyo and somehow made it all the way here in one day?”

The short-haired girl scratched her head, deep in thought. “That is a good point…”

“I know… What do you think, Usagi?” Naru looked down to her blonde Bun-Headed BFF, who was currently passed out on her desk, a puddle of drool pouring out from her mouth as she snored away. Naru rolled her eyes. She must have stayed up too late reading manga again. Typical… “ALRIGHT CLASS, TIME TO BEGIN!!!” Naru raised her voice.

Immediately, Usagi sat up straight like an arrow, placing her elbows on her desk and opening her eyes as wide as an owl. “Yes, Ms. Sakurada!” Usagi was caught off guard by the sound of laughing behind her. She looked back to see a group of girls, including Naru, cracking up. Usagi narrowed her eyes in frustration. “Naruuuu! I was having the best dream ever!” she whined.

Naru placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. “I had to make sure you didn’t get in trouble again. Mama Naru’s got to look out for her baby girl!” she said cheerfully.

Usagi’s head dropped back down to her desk. “I just had a really long night, that’s all…”

“That’s not good,” a voice suddenly came from behind Usagi. The blonde girl looked back again, but immediately regretted it when she saw Mamoru Chiba standing there. “You need to be getting plenty of sleep, Bun-Head, otherwise you won’t be able to focus in class.”

“You again?!” Usagi squeaked angrily. “What are you doing here? Are you stalking me or something?” She stabbed an accusing finger at the tall boy, who simply chuckled and shook his head.

“Of course not. We have homeroom together,” he said. “You would’ve known that if you showed up on time yesterday.”

Usagi’s eyes practically popped out of her head when she heard that. Homeroom? With HIM?! It had to be a mistake! Being around this guy for a few seconds was enough to drive her mad, but spending every morning with him? They might as well just strap a straightjacket on her and be done with it.

“Yeah, well so what? I still can’t stand being around you! You’re nothing but a big dumb meanie! Now go sit down before Ms. Sakurada gets here! I hear she gives tardies to anyone not in their seats when she walks in!” Usagi spat.

Mamoru simply held up his hands defensively and backed up. “Alright, whatever you say,” he said nervously as he walked across the room to his seat. “By the way, Bun-Head, my tutoring offer is still on the table if you’re interested!” he called back to her before sitting down.

Usagi practically popped a blood vessel when he said that. “Keep dreaming, weirdo!” Usagi sunk into her chair and crossed her arms, putting like a five-year-old. “Stupid jerk… who does he think he is, trying to be nice to me? He’s got some nerve, right Naru?” Usagi looked up at her red-headed friend, who was busy staring across the room at Mamoru. “Um.. Naru?”

Naru didn’t take her gaze off Mamoru. He eyes twinkled as she watched him take off his sunglasses and replace them with a pair of reading glasses. “He’s so dreamy…”

Usagi rolled her eyes. “Oh boy…” It was bad enough that she had a class with this jerk, but now her best friend was infatuated with him. At this point, Usagi was beginning to regret not letting that monster kill her last night.

As Naru stared longingly at the handsome dark-haired boy, she got a funny feeling in the recesses of her mind. The guy was attractive, that was for sure, but this feeling caused her to be drawn to him for another reason, though what that reason was she couldn’t figure out. While Naru pondered what the reason could be, her naive young teenage mind took hold and made her decision for her. This boy was her soulmate, and she was going to be his girlfriend sooner or later. 

* * *

The end of the school day came, and as the bell rang and children charged out the front doors, eager to get away from the tortures of lectures and tests, Usagi straggled behind at the back of the crowd. She still hadn’t recovered from the exhaustion that resulted from last night, and she knew that the walk home would be long and excruciating. As she slugged down the road home, dragging her backpack behind her like a sack of coal, a black cat suddenly leapt out of the bushes in front of her.

“Aaagghh! A black cat! That’s eight years of bad luck!” Usagi cried, repeating the same thing she said yesterday.

Luna raised an eyebrow. “Usagi, it’s me, Luna.” The cat looked a little hurt by Usagi’s comment. “And I would prefer if you didn’t acknowledge that stereotype. I find it very offensive.”

Usagi quickly realized her mistake and fell to her knees, clasping her hands together. “Oh my gosh, I’m so so sorry, Luna! I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings! You’re not mad at me, are you?” Usagi pleaded, teardrops forming at the corners of her eyes.

Luna sighed. “Of course I’m not mad. Just please be aware of what you say,” she said, her face quickly brightening up. “Now then, are you ready for your second night out?”

Usagi looked confused, but quickly figured out what Luna was saying and grew worried. “Wha… what do you mean, ‘second night out?’”

“Well, now that you are a Sailor Soldier, it is your duty to look after the people of this city by fighting any other monsters that may appear,” Luna stated, a little too casually.

However, Usagi already knew how she was going to respond. “No.”

Luna was taken aback by this. She stayed silent for a moment, pondering the single word that had come from the girl’s mouth. “No? What do you mean no?”

“I mean I’m not going to be Sailor Moon anymore. I won’t go back out there and fight any monsters. I refuse,” Usagi said sternly.

“B-but, you have to! It's your mission! Your destiny! This is the reason you were reincarnated!” Luna said, desperately trying to change the blonde’s mind. If she truly meant what she said, it could mean that mankind and the world itself was doomed. The cat had been searching for this one girl for most of her life, but suddenly, with one word, it seemed like her entire life had led to nothing.

Usagi shook her head. “No, I won’t do it! I’m not a soldier, I’m just a young girl who’s going to graduate middle school in a few months. I have my whole life ahead of me, and I won’t risk ruining that life over something I never even wanted to happen!” With that, the girl picked up her backpack and marched down the sidewalk. However, after only a few feet, she stopped and turned to look sadly at the dejected black cat. “I’m sorry Luna, I really am. But… I just can’t do this…”

Luna watched as Usagi continued walking. She kept her eyes on the girl until she turned a corner a few blocks away. “This is bad…” she said to herself. “This is really bad…”

* * *

Luna found herself strolling through a deserted alleyway. Even though it was broad daylight, the narrow space made it impossible for any sun to reach the area, making it dark and eerie. Luna looked around to make sure no one was looking. She noticed a rat nearby munching on a piece of garbage and hissed at it, scaring it away into the shadows. Rats were such disgusting creatures. Now that she was sure she was alone, she closed her eyes and concentrated, causing the moon on her forehead to glow. A beam of light shot forth and created a sparkly sphere a few feet in front of her. Inside the sphere was the shadow of someone, though the image was too distorted to make out any features.

“Luna? Is that you?” the shadow asked, forebodingly.

“It’s me, sir. I’m sorry for the short notice of this report, but we have a serious problem,” Luna apologized. “The girl who became Sailor Moon last night has refused to fight anymore.”

The shadow grumbled, clearly distraught by this news. “Did you try to convince her otherwise?”

“I did! I really tried!” Luna talked as if she were about to be punished. “What should we do, sir? If we don’t convince her to fight somehow, the world is in trouble!”

“I’m aware! Calm down, Luna, we’ll figure this out,” the shadow reassured. Luna’s breathing eased. She seemed to regain her composure. “I hate to resort to this, but it looks like we’ll have to initiate Plan D.”

Luna’s eyes grew wide at the mention of this Plan D. “Are… are you sure? That seems a little extreme…”

“We have no other option! If Sailor Moon won’t fight, then we’ll make her fight,” the shadow said firmly. It seemed as though his mind was made up. Luna’s eyes drifted downwards. She looked unsure about this plan, but like the shadow said, it was their only option.

* * *

A final bolt of lightning flashed from the monster’s mouth and struck the young blonde girl in a sailor suit, instantly disintegrating her into a smoldering pile of ashes. As the monster cackled victoriously, a pair of big red words appeared in the air above them: “GAME OVER.”

“Aw man! Not again! This level is impossible!” Usagi whined relentlessly. “There goes half my weekly allowance…” The girl had gone straight from school to her favorite arcade, only to play her favorite game of all time: Sailor V! Even though she had played it countless times, her gameplay style never went much further than mindless button-mashing. However, another reason she went was because of her crush on the young man who worked at the arcade...

“Having trouble there, Usagi?” A warm, kind voice came from behind the blonde girl. She turned around to see a tall sandy-haired boy who looked to be in his early twenties. He smiled down at the girl and gestured towards the Sailor V game, still flashing the Game Over sign.

“Motoki, I swear this game is rigged!” Usagi complained. “I do so good up until this point, but I can never get past the electricity-spitting alien-robot-monster-Godzilla thing!” The monster on the screen let out another demonic cackle. Usagi’s forehead popped a vein and her eyes turned pure white. “And then it keeps doing this stupid laugh after I lose! It’s like the game is mocking me!”

Motoki simply chuckled to himself. “Easy there, Usa. It’s not like the game is self-aware or anything. You probably just need to keep practicing.” He leaned down to Usagi and whispered in her ear. “In fact, I know a passcode you can use to skip the beginning of the game and come right to this spot until you beat it…”

Usagi’s eyes sparkled as she twirled around and threw her arms around the tall boy. “Oh Motoki! You’re the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” the young girl chirped.

Motoki smiled nervously and hugged her back. “Heheh… I didn’t know the game meant this much to you.”

From across the arcade, a television mounted on the wall was airing the afternoon news, when suddenly a tab that said “Breaking News” appeared on the bottom.

“Breaking News!” the female newscaster announced, drawing both Usagi and Motoki’s attention. “We have just received word that moments ago, the body of the superheroine Sailor V was found in an alleyway by a passing homeless man. The young girl appears to have died due to the serious injuries she received battling the monster that attacked Osaka two nights ago. While the body is currently still being identified, citizens are already beginning to question whether or not they will be safe at night now that their hero is gone.”

Usagi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sailor V was dead? It couldn’t be true! Sailor V was her hero! She was supposed to be unstoppable! How could she be dead? This wasn’t right! This was all wrong!

Motoki reached down and patted Usagi’s head. “Usa, are you…”

Usagi suddenly reached up and pushed his hand away. She then dropped to her knees and reached her hands to the sky, as if trying to bring down Heaven itself. “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! SAILOR V, YOU WERE MY HERO!!! WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” the blonde girl wailed as Motoki looked on, taken aback by her display of drama.

* * *

Kunzite entered Queen Metalia’s chamber and took a knee. “My Queen, I have something most interesting to report.”

“Oh? Do tell,” the dark mass whispered softly.

“Just an hour ago, Sailor V was found dead. It appears the wounds that Reptilicus inflicted on her were… too much for her body to handle,” Kunzite said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

The Queen was silent for a moment, but she suddenly began chuckling lightly, before erupting into a malicious howling laughter. “Excellent! This is a marvelous development! Now we have one less enemy to deal with…”

“But my Queen,” Kunzite interjected. “What about that Sailor Moon girl? How shall we deal with her?”

Queen Metalia ceased her laughing, causing Kunzite to freeze. He looked as if her regretted what he just said. “I believe I made it clear that our primary goal is gathering human energy. We will not waste time on that weakling Sailor Moon! From what I observed, the main reason she defeated Arachnia was her ability to create sonic waves. The obvious solution to this is a monster who will be immune to such an attack,” the Queen hissed at Kunzite.

“Of… of course, your majesty! That would be the most logical strategy…” Kunzite stroked his chin for a moment, deep in thought. “I believe I have just the monster for the job!” he said eagerly.

“Well then, waste no more time. Send forth this monster immediately!” Queen Metalia ordered. Kunzite stood up and placed a hand over his chest before beginning to walk backwards out of the room. “And Kunzite?” He stopped and focused on the glass sphere. “Do not fail this time… or there will be consequences…”

Kunzite said nothing, settling for a simple nod. He finished backing out of the room and closed the door behind him. He drew in a deep breath, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“A threat from the Queen? You had better get your act together!”

Kunzite narrowed his eyes, recognizing the sly, arrogant tone of voice. He turned around to see none other than Jadeite standing across the hall. “No tricks this time, Jadeite? It seems you are the one who needs to get his act together,” Kunzite said mockingly.

“Are you two squabbling again? Honestly, you boys are so immature sometimes!” a flamboyant voice chastised from down the hall. Kunzite and Jadeite looked over to see short, slender man with long blonde hair done up in a ponytail clicking his tongue at them.

“Zoisite. Where’s Nephrite?” Kunzite asked.

Zoisite smiled and flipped his hair back. “Oh, he's just off dolling himself up in his barracks. The two of us are hoping to catch the Northern Lights tonight.” The feminine man suddenly narrowed his eyes. “You're not suggesting I can't be without him for a moment, are you?”

Upon hearing this, a devilish grin spread across Jadeite’s face. “He's not, but I am,” the blonde man sneered. “I believe you would go insane if you went so much as an hour without clinging to his arm!”

Zoisite glared at Jadeite with passionate eyes. “How dare you! I am more than capable of handling myself!”

Jadeite simply laughed out loud. “Don't make me laugh! If you so much as see a mouse crawling around you run into your beloved Nephrite’s arms and cry like a woman! You are such a pathetic man.”

Suddenly, a strong hand clamped down on Jadeite’s hair and yanked him around, bringing him face-to-face with a tall, muscular man with long, red-brown hair. Jadeite’s expression suddenly dropped. He was clearly afraid of this man. “Now Jadeite, surely you aren't mouthing off to my dear Zoisite again, are you?”

Zoisite smiled briefly, but quickly put on a fake sad face. “Oh, but he is, Nephrite! He called me weak and pathetic! Oh, it hurt my feelings so bad!” Zoisite cried.

Nephrite’s eyes narrowed and his forehead popped a vein. He held up his hand, producing a black rose in his grasp. He held the thorny stem up to Jadeite’s face. “I should slit your throat for saying such things!” He swiped the thorns across Jadeite’s cheek, drawing a slight drop of blood. Jadeite flinched in pain.

Seeing this, Kunzite quickly strode up to Nephrite and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Nephrite! Enough,” he said firmly. Nephrite looked back at him and scowled, but released Jadeite as he was told. He then walked over to Zoisite and held out his arm.

“Apologies, my dear,” Nephrite said softly. “What’s say we get away from this duo of hooligans?”

“Indeed!” Zoisite chirped as the two began walking away. “True beauty awaits us in the sky!”

“Oh Zoisite, not even a miracle of nature like the Northern Lights could be compared to your beauty,” the tall brunette complimented.

Kunzite watched he pair of lovers go, before crouching down and helping Jadeite to his feet. “Are you okay?”

Jadeite narrowed his eyes for a moment, before letting cheerful smile cross his face. “It takes more than a flimsy rose to hurt me!” He tensed the muscles on his face, sucking the blood seeping out of the cut on his face back under his skin.

Kunzite shook his head. “Your arrogance is going to get you killed one day, little brother.” With that, the silver-haired man turned around and walked down the hall towards his monster’s barracks.

“I think I’ll be quite alright…” Jadeite mumbled before slithering off in the other direction.

* * *

Usagi and Naru dragged their feet as they walked down the road, their backs slumped over and tears streaming down their cheeks.

“This can’t be happening…” Usagi whined. “Sailor V Can’t be dead!”

“I know, girlfriend,” the redhead responded sadly. “But we have to try and move past this.”

Usagi looked at her best friend, her eyes practically filled to the brim with tears. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move past this! Who’s gonna be my hero now?”

Naru placed a hand on Usagi’s shoulder. “Hey, the important thing is she went out fighting,” she said with a half hearted smile. However, the smile quickly faded as she began crying again. “Even if she still died!”

The two girls hugged each other and let out a collective “WAAAAAHHHH!” before being interrupted by a loud voice.

“Manga sale! Special Sailor V Manga sale!” the voice announced. “Commemorate the loss of the beloved Sailor V by partaking in this one day Sailor V Manga sale! All issues are ninety percent off today and today only!”

Naru and Usagi looked across the street to see a man holding up a large arrow sign, pointing to a manga store on the corner. The display windows showed a huge Sailor V poster with a big red “90% OFF” tag slapped on it. The two girls’ eyes lit up instantly.

“Oh my gosh! Ninety percent off?! That’s practically free!” Usagi cheered.

Naru took Usagi’s hand in her own. “What do you say, girl? Let’s pay our respects to Sailor V by buying every issue in that store!”

The two girls cheered as they dashed across the street. They cut off several cars in the process, causing the angry drivers to honk and shake their fists at them, but the girls were too overjoyed by the sale. They practically knocked the advertisement man over as they barged into the store.

“Take your time picking an issue, girls! Remember this is offer only lasts today!” the advertisement man encouraged. However, once the two girls were out of range of his voice, the man bared his teeth in an evil grin and chuckled. “And as you’ll soon find out, your lives will only last today as well…” the man snickered.

* * *

Usagi flopped down on her bed, bringing the huge pile of Sailor V manga with her. The Bun-Headed girl had spent the entire afternoon scouring the shelves of that store for every issue of Sailor V she didn’t own, and thanks to the sale she was able to afford all of them. Of course, it cost her the other half of her weekly allowance…

“Where should I start? I have to read them all tonight!” Usagi quickly shook her head at this thought. “No, Sailor V is gone. I have to honor her properly by dragging out this binge as long as I can,” she told herself proudly. “I’ll only read one issue tonight.”

Usagi searched through the stack of manga before settling on one of her favorite issues: Sailor V #91: The Revenge of Masquerade Man! Usagi rolled onto her stomach and flipped open the book to the first page. The story picked up right where it had left off; the evil Masquerade Man, a tall, devilish man in a tuxedo and a masquerade mask, had returned from out of nowhere, seemingly haven risen from the grave. He planned to get revenge on Sailor V for beating him the first time by killing the man she was in love with! Oh boy, this was gonna be intense! As Usagi turned the page, the battle with Masquerade Man began, with Sailor V jumping into the air and lashing out with her signature Sailor V Kick! However, Masquerade Man simply stood there and absorbed the blow! How was that possible? The kick was Sailor V’s strongest technique, and the villain just took it like it was nothing! Is it possible he had gotten stronger since they last met?

Normally, all this intense action would have Usagi walking all over her room as she read her manga, but the young girl found herself feeling strangely exhausted. In fact, she was so tired she couldn’t even move! What was going on? It wasn’t that late, so why was she so tired? Her vision began to darken around the edges and her eyelids began fluttering as it felt like her strength was literally being sucked out of her. Just as she was about to pass out, Usagi heard a loud shredding noise, and she was suddenly jolted awake, her strength seeming to have returned. Usagi looked in front of her to see Luna standing there, along with her Sailor V manga, which was now nothing but a pile of torn ribbons of paper.

“Luna!” Usagi cried. “What’s with you and destroying my stuff? I got this from a one-time sale! And I haven’t even read this issue yet!”

Luna simply stared back at her with a serious look. “Maybe if you didn’t keep buying evil objects, I wouldn’t have to keep destroying them! Look!” Luna gestured with her paw towards the pile of Sailor V manga, which was now glowing with a dark aura. Suddenly, a dark tendril shot forth from the aura and shrouded Usagi, causing her to feel tired again. Luna panicked. “Quickly! Throw them out the window!”

Even though Usagi’s mind told her not to waste such a precious collection of unread manga, Usagi took the stack of books in her arms and tossed them all out the window. Once again, the dark aura disappeared and Usagi’s strength returned.

“What was that? It felt like my life was being drained away…” Usagi said nervously.

“That’s because it was,” Luna answered. “The man who sold you those manga was an agent of the Dark Kingdom in disguise. Usagi, you have to go and fight him!”

Usagi crossed her arms and turned away from the black cat. “I told you I won’t do it! It’s too scary for me and I have too much to live for! I haven’t even had a boyfriend yet!”

Luna took a step towards the blonde girl, looking directly at her with pleading eyes. “Usagi, you have to! Everyone who bought those manga today are currently having their life sucked out of them, including Naru!” Usagi’s eyes went wide at this revelation. “Sailor V is dead now,” the cat continued. “You’re the only hope this city and its people have now! If you don’t transform and go out there, everyone in this entire world is doomed! I know it’s a heavy burden to bear, and I understand that you’re scared, but just think: what would Sailor V have done?”

Usagi lowered her head, tears brimming on her eyes. If Naru really was in danger, then she had to fight! But still… “I… I’m not Sailor V…”

Luna sighed. “You’re right, you’re not. But you are Sailor Moon! You possess powers that make you stronger than anyone else. You’re not some helpless little girl anymore! If you put your mind to it, you can win!” Usagi lowered her head even further, and tears began streaking down her cheeks. “Usagi, please, I’m begging you!”

The young girl whimpered, feeling the weight of the situation falling on her like a ton of bricks. She was scared, more scared than she had ever been. But if she really was the world’s only hope, what choice did she have? “Alright,” she said suddenly, wiping the tears from her eyes and standing up. “I’ll do it!”

Luna smiled and nodded, taking a step back as Usagi jumped to her feet and raised her right hand to the sky.

“MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

* * *

The advertising man stood behind the counter of the manga store, one hand held high in the air. A sphere of dark energy hovered above his palm, growing larger by the second. “Yes…” he hissed. “Just a little more energy should be enough to satisfy our great ruler…”

“STOP RIGHT THERE!”

The man looked over to where the voice came from to find a young girl in a pink, white and blue sailor suit standing in the entrance to the store. The girl had her hands on her hips and an angry expression on her face.

“Who dares to interrupt my collection of human energy?” the man demanded to know.

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I’LL PUNISH YOU!”

The man watched as the girl struck a pose, completing her grand entrance. However, the sight of the pose simply made the man laugh. “Is that supposed to scare me? I don’t think you realize who I really am!” He leapt out from behind the counter and stood parallel to Sailor Moon. His flesh seemed to begin to melt, or at least turn into some kind of liquid. His skin also changed color, going from a lively pale to a deathly pure shade of black. His casual t-shirt and shorts morphed into a sharp pair of dress pants, a shirt, a tie, and a jacket (all black, naturally). Finally. The man’s face twisted and contorted, slowly turning into a disgusting mesh of a human and some kind of amphibian. “My name is Inkling, soldier of the Dark Kingdom and loyal servant to Queen Metalia!” the slimy creature announced. He held out his hand and produced a large fountain pen. “But I am also an accomplished artist.”

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes. “I don’t care what you are! Taking advantage of the emotions of people mourning the death of a hero is unforgivable! Now you’ll suffer the most dire of consequences!” she said angrily, thrusting her pointer finger at the monster.

Inkling simply grinned at the girl, finding her attempts to intimidate him quite adorable. “I would love to see you try!” He grasped the fountain pen in his hand and threw it like a spear at Sailor Moon. The girl ducked out of the way just in time, and when she looked up she saw the sharp tip of the pen embedded in the door frame. She gulped at the thought of what could’ve happened if she hadn’t dodged.

From behind her, Luna watched nervously. “Sailor Moon, use your sonic attack to stun him!” the cat instructed, quickly placing her paws over her ears.

“Good thinking, Luna!” Sailor Moon took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she possibly could. Her tiara began to glow, and like before, giant sonic waves erupted from it, colliding with Inkling and throwing him off balance. Sailor Moon carried out the attack as long as she could, until her lungs desperately cried out for air and she was forced to halt her screeching onslaught. As the heroine gasped for breath, she looked up at Inkling, but was shocked to see the monster laughing. “But.. but I thought that attack was supposed to stun you!”

Inkling continued to laugh. “Foolish girl! I’m made of ink! I don’t have any eardrums,” the slippery villain said, tapping the side of his head. “But I do possess a consciousness, and right now, my mind is fixated on your demise!” Inkling raised both of his fists, causing six more razor-sharp fountain pens to appear between his knuckles. He hurled the deadly weapons at Sailor Moon, causing the girl to shriek in horror and dash out of the way, just barely avoiding the projectiles. As the blonde heroine ran clumsily around the store, Inkling reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a jar of ink. “Oh no you don't!” He threw the jar at the floor in front of Sailor Moon, shattering it and splashing a thick pool of black ink around her feet. Sailor Moon began to slip and slide around like a cartoon character before finally falling flat on her butt.

“Owowow! That hurt!” the girl whined.

Inkling saw his chance and whipped out another pen. “Farewell, Sailor Moon!” He drew back his arm and took aim at the girl’s head. Sailor Moon gasped in horror as she saw what was coming. She tried desperately to get back up, but the slippery ink kept her from going anywhere. Inkling let out a triumphant demonic hiss as he threw the pen at Sailor Moon with all his might. The girl let out a terrified scream, bracing for what was to come…

From out of nowhere, a shadow was cast over the helpless girl, and she heard a loud plinking sound above her. Upon realizing that she wasn’t dead, Sailor Moon slowly opened her eyes and looked up, amazed at what she saw. A dashingly handsome man adorned in a tuxedo, a top hat, a cape, and a white masquerade mask was standing protectively in front of her. In his hand was a long, black cane, and as she looked down again, she noticed the pen that Inkling had thrown was now stuck in the carpeted floor. She looked back up to the man, her eyes sparkling with amazement. Who was this man? And where did he come from?

As if Inkling was reading her mind, the monster growled at the unwelcome intruder. “Who are you?” he demanded furiously.

The man stood up straight and stared at the slimy villain. “My name is Tuxedo Mask, and that is all you’re going to know about me. I’ve come here to save Sailor Moon and stop your evil deeds.”

Sailor Moon was transfixed by this Tuxedo Mask. He was so brave, and he had saved her from certain death! Within seconds, bright pink hearts appeared in the young girl’s eyes. She was in love.

Tuxedo Mask turned around and looked down at Sailor Moon, extending his hand to her. Sailor Moon snapped back to reality and she more than willingly took the man’s hand. As he helped her to her feet, she slipped a few more times on the puddle of ink, but Tuxedo Mask quickly grabbed the girl’s shoulders, helping her balance herself. “Are you alright Sailor Moon?” he asked.

Sailor Moon gazed longingly into the man’s eyes. They were a deep color, almost black. They were so beautiful and hypnotic. As the girl realized she was probably worrying the man, she regained her composure and smiled up at him. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you for saving me,” she said quietly.

“You can thank me once we’ve finished this freak,” Tuxedo Mask said stoically. He whirled around to face Inkling once again, only this time the monster was gritting his teeth and snarling like a wild animal.

“So you knocked away one of my pens, so what? You really think you can defeat me, pathetic human?!” Inkling produced another fountain pen, this time holding it like a dagger, and charged at Tuxedo Mask. The caped man gripped his cane and ran to meet the monster head-on. The two clashed their respective weapons, Inkling trying to get close enough to gore the man with his pen, and Tuxedo Mask trying to push back his opponent’s assault. Finally, Tuxedo Mask brought his fist up and smashed it directly into Inkling’s jaw, splattering ink, or what might have been the creature’s blood, all over one of the manga racks. His white glove became stained with black ink, but he managed to stun the monster with the blow. The handsomely dressed hero quickly maneuvered himself behind Inkling and put him in a headlock, pulling him in line with Sailor Moon.

“Sailor Moon, do it now! Destroy him with your tiara!” the man shouted.

Sailor Moon nodded and reached up and took off her tiara, the jewelry quickly transforming into the sharp golden disk. As the girl was about to throw her weapon, she noticed that Tuxedo Mask was standing right behind Inkling as he held him. “Wait! What about you? If you’re standing behind him when I throw it, the tiara will kill you too!”

“Just trust me! I’ll be alright!” Tuxedo Mask said as he struggled to hold onto Inkling, who had recovered from the man’s punch and was now putting up a tough resistance.

Sailor Moon had no choice. She closed her eyes and reared back her arm.

“MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!!!”

The brilliant golden disc flew across the store, directly towards Inkling and Tuxedo Mask. Just as the weapon was about to make contact, Tuxedo Mask pushed his captive forward and jumped out of the way. Inkling let out a cry of agony as the disc sliced through his torso, gruesomely splashing ink all over the store. However, the sticky liquid, along with the creature it came from, began to stiffen and turn grey. In just a few seconds, the monster became a pile of dust on the ground.

Sailor Moon gasped and fell to her knees, the stress of the situation clearly having taken a toll on the petite girl. Luna bounded over to her, looking like a concerned mother. “Sailor Moon! Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

The girl was panting heavily, but managed to get a few words out. “No… I’m fine… Luna…” Suddenly, a loud whooshing sound erupted from outside. As if acting on instinct, Usagi jumped to her feet and ran outside. “Usagi!” Luna called out, but the girl ignored her.

Sailor Moon stepped outside and looked around, as if trying to find something. “Sailor Moon!” a voice said loudly. The girl looked up to find where it came from, only to see none other than Tuxedo Mask standing heroically on the edge of a building, his cape billowing and whipping around in the cool night air. “You fought bravely tonight. I hope that one day we will meet again so that we may continue to fight evil together.” The well-dressed man turned his back to the blonde heroine and began leaping across the rooftops before disappearing into the night.

As Sailor Moon watched the man leave, the bright pink hearts returned to her eyes and she squealed like a crazed fan girl. “He’s so handsome!” she cried. “You’re my new hero, Tuxedo Mask!”

Luna had followed Sailor Moon outside and had watched Tuxedo Mask leave. Even as she rolled her eyes at Usagi’s teenage infatuation, two questions crossed her mind: Who was this Tuxedo Mask? And was he friend or foe?

* * *

“Please, forgive me, Queen Metalia! I had no idea that this Tuxedo Mask character would interfere! I beg of you, spare me your wrath!” Kunzite was on his hands and knees in front of Queen Metalia’s glass sphere, begging to be spared the consequences she had promised him.

Queen Metalia sighed. “Fear not, Kunzite. You have not incurred my wrath this time. I was surprised by this man’s appearance as well. It appears that while one of our enemies has died, two more have taken her place. Let us hope that Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are the only ones we will have to deal with. If more of these pests arise, we may begin to have complications…”

* * *

The school bell rang once again, announcing the beginning of a new day. Usagi slumped into her desk, dreading the thought of whatever assignment would be forced onto her today. “Man, I'm so tired… if I’m gonna keep doing this Sailor Moon thing, I’m gonna have to start taking naps after school…”

As the rest of the class walked into the room, Ms. Sakurada entered with a small girl in tow. She had short, blue hair and had a warm, welcoming smile on her face.

“Class, I have someone I’d like you to meet,” Ms. Sakurada announced, gesturing to the blue-haired girl. “This is your new classmate, Ami Mizuno.”

The girl turned to her new classmates and bowed. “Hello. It’s nice to meet you all.”

 

_~A Suivre~_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed my version of Tux! I never liked his character in the 90s anime, but I loves him in the manga and Crystal. He will definitely be more involved in the action as opposed to just throwing a rose and leaving ;)  
> Feel free to leave a review!


	3. Mercury, Soldier of Wisdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 3! I was considering writing another filler episode, but screw it, I just really want to introduce the other Sailor Soldiers. After all, they're what makes the franchise what it is, right? Anyway, my introduction to Mercury will probably be the most similar to the original source material. I have other plans in mind for the rest of the soldiers' introductions. Also, I tried to incorporate a bit more comedy into this chapter, which I felt was seriously lacking in the first two chapters.

Chapter 3: Mercury, Soldier of Wisdom

“I don’t know exactly what happened, but it just felt like my life was being sucked out of me!” Naru was recounting the previous night to her friends once again. “My vision went dark, it got hard to breathe, and it just felt like my body was going numb.”

“You seem to have knack for almost dying recently, Naru,” a nearby girl with curly black hair said jokingly.

Naru frowned at the girl. “It’s not funny! It was really scary!” she said frustrated. “I’m telling you guys, it had to have been the work of those monsters again. Those bastards… I had to throw out all the manga I bought yesterday just to be safe!”

“That has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. How would the monsters be sucking out your life using manga?” a girl with sandy blonde hair asked, clearly skeptical of what Naru was insisting.

“Maybe it was magic!” a voice came suddenly. The girls all looked over to see Usagi staring at them with wide eyes. However, now that she was the center of attention, the bun-headed girl sank back into her seat. “You know… like dark, evil magic…”

The black-haired girl raised an eyebrow. “Magic? How can you jump to that conclusion so quickly, Usagi?”

Usagi searched her mind for a good response. “It’s… it’s just the most logical explanation!”

“That’s far from the most logical explanation,” another voice interjected. All the girls, including Usagi, turned around to be greeted by a short girl with blue hair and glasses. She held a book in her hands, seemingly having taken a break from reading when she overheard their conversation. “There’s no such thing as magic, let alone dark magic.”

Naru stared questioningly at the rather nerdy looking girl. “Then how would you explain what happened to me last night?”

The girl shut her book and adjusts her glasses, turning to the group of girls as if she were a teacher about to give a lecture. “You said this all happened after you found out Sailor V was dead, right? It’s likely that the manga you were reading triggered stressful thoughts in your mind knowing that your favorite superheroine was dead. Common symptoms of stress are headaches, weakness, fatigue. Having your ‘life drained out of you’ was likely a result of said fatigue.”

All the girls just stared at the blue-haired girl in awe. They looked at each other, then to Naru, then back to the girl.

“That… actually makes a lot of sense,” the black-haired girl said.

“Yeah, that was brilliant!” the sandy blonde said cheerfully. “Hey, you’re the new student, right? What’s your name again?”

“My name is Ami Mizuno. It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” she responded before opening her book. Again and tuning away from the group. “Now, if you would be so kind, please tone down your conversation. I need to finish reading this chapter by today.”

The sandy blonde’s smile faded at this remark. “Well, you could at least be less rude about it, Miss Know-It-All,” she sneered.

As the others went back to their conversation, Usagi kept her eyes on Ami. She felt strangely drawn to the girl for some reason.

* * *

Kunzite stood before the glass sphere containing Queen Metalia’s essence before taking a knee. “Queen Metalia, I am pleased inform you that I have a new plan for gathering human energy.”

“I sincerely hope it is a plausible plan. Your past few attempts have been rather contrived if I do say so myself,” Metalia said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Kunzite looked a little hurt by this comment, but went on anyway. “I have noticed that one of mankind’s greatest values is intelligence. Children and adolescents all over the world are constantly receiving mental training to strengthen said intelligence, and I believe this is something we can exploit.”

The dark mass inside the glass ball froze, as if the Queen was now focused intently on Kunzite. “This sounds promising…”

“My monster Brainiac has the ability to tap into the minds of others. I can send her to infiltrate one of the human’s learning facilities and gather energy from their evolving minds,” Kunzite explained confidently.

Queen Metalia’s mass began moving again. Demonic whispers could be heard from inside the sphere, as if she were processing what Kunzite had said. After several seconds, the dark mass froze in place once again. “This plan seems to be your most well-thought out in some time. I’m intrigued to see whether it will come to succeed,” the Queen said.

Kunzite smiled at the compliment and stood up eagerly. “There’s more. From what I’ve gathered from the previous battles, while Sailor Moon possesses great power, she has a significant lack of mental prowess. Logically, this would mean that she would not attend one of these learning facilities, and therefore she would be unable to interfere!”

“What about Tuxedo Mask?” Metalia asked suddenly, as if unconvinced by Kunzite’s last statement. However, it appeared that the silver-haired man had a response ready.

“He is a skilled fighter, but it was only through Sailor Moon’s help that he was able to share her victory over Inkling. Even if he does appear, he will be no match for Brainiac on his own,” he said, sounding as if his confidence was about to explode.

Queen Metalia simply sighed in response. “I am trusting on this, Kunzite. Unless another unexpected inconvenience occurs, you will suffer my wrath if you fail this time. I will not tolerate any more failures from you.”

Kunzite placed a hand over his chest, his confidence not waning despite the threat from Metalia. “I promise you that will not happen, my Queen! Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask will be all too late by the time my work is finished this time.”

“Very well. Then be on your way, and be sure to inform Brainiac that this will be her one and only chance as well,” Metalia said firmly.

“Of course, your majesty,” Kunzite said before backing out of the room. As he closed the doors, he could already feel the familiar presence lurking in the shadows behind him, although at this point he wasn't’t too surprised by it anymore. “Don’t you have anything better to do than sneak up on me every second I’m alone?”

Jadeite stepped out of the shadows, chuckling lightly. “Oh don’t be silly, Kunzite! I do plenty to help out around here.”

Kunzite turned around, and eyebrow already raised. “Is that so? I don’t seem to recall you having contributed a plan to the Queen’s conquest for nearly two years!”

“That may be, but I suppose contributing nothing at all is better than contributing nothing but failures!” Jadeite said, mockingly. The insult clearly rubbed Kunzite the wrong way, as the tall man balled his fist and raised it some, as if tempted to lay a beat down on his little brother.

“You really piss me off, you know that?” Kunzite growled.

Jadeite simply laughed at this. “Oh please, if all these millennia have taught me anything, it is that no matter how angry you get you will never have the heart to inflict pain on me. Even the Queen knows you’re too soft to hurt your own flesh and blood,” he said, as if egging Kunzite on to hit him. However, the man gave no response. Instead, he simply unclenched his fist and quickly turned around, walking down the hall towards the monsters’ barracks. Jadeite waited until his brother had walked some distance before giggling under his breath. “Foolish brother, you have no idea what I’m planning,” he whispered deviously. “Be thankful it is not you I intend to extend my wrath to…”

* * *

Another school day had come to an end. Ami gathered her numerous books and binders and neatly packed up her backpack. She heard several students complaining about how difficult the homework was going to be, making her thankful that she got it all done during lunch period. As she made her way down the halls, her ears caught several whispering conversations about her, which were clearly not as subtle as they thought. “There goes that new girl.” “She’s so weird.” “Yeah, all she does is study.” “I bet she doesn’t have any friends.” “Who’d wanna be friends with someone so boring anyway?” Normally these comments would be hurtful to anybody, but Ami had gotten used to them. She had kept to herself since she was very little, and while not having friends did bother her from time to time, the knowledge that she was focusing on her studies and building a strong future for herself kept her at ease.

Ami made her way down the school’s steps and towards the front gates. Just as she approached them, she thought she heard a pair of footsteps swiftly approaching behind her. “Hey Ami, wait up!” a joyful young voice called out. Ami kept walking but turned her head to see who was coming. She recognized the girl from this morning, the one with blonde hair done up in a pair of buns. While the girl hadn’t said much in the time she knew her, Ami could tell she was one of those overly-energetic happy-go-lucky people. Not really her type…

The blonde girl caught up to her, panting heavily. “You… you are Ami… right?” The blue-haired girl simply nodded, causing Usagi to smile. “I thought I had the wrong girl! Then again I don’t know many people with blue hair.”

“Can I help you with something?” Ami asked politely.

Usagi shook her head and kept smiling. “Oh, nothing. I was just wondering, do you really not believe in magic?”

Ami looked at the Bun-headed blonde curiously. Was she serious right now? “Of course not. Magic isn’t real. Everything people call magic can easily be explained through science and logic.”

“Oh really?” Usagi pouted. “Then how do you explain the magic of rainbows?”

Ami giggled lightly. “The sun’s ultraviolet rays reflecting off of moisture in the air causes the rays to distribute into the seven colors of the rainbow that make up white light.”

Fake tears drifted down from Usagi’s eyes as her lip quivered cartoonishly. “I think I just died a little on the inside…”

“Is that all you wanted to say?” Ami asked suddenly, catching Usagi off guard.

“No, no, that’s not it!” she quickly responded, as if afraid the nerdy girl was about to walk away from her. “I also thought that you were really pretty and smart and… maybe you’d like to be friends with me?” Usagi said with puppy dog eyes.

Ami was shocked by the girl’s words. Nobody had said anything like that to her in years. Nobody wanted to be her friend because they thought she was too boring. Nobody called her smart because everyone was always jealous of her grades. And no girl ever called her pretty because… because…

“Ami? Ami, are you okay?” Ami had apparently spaced out because the next thing she knew, Usagi was waving a hand in front of her face and saying her name repeatedly. “Did I say something--”

“Yes!” Ami said, almost loudly. Usagi backed up a little, slightly scared by the girl’s sudden answer. “I mean… yes, I would like to be friends…”

Instantly, Usagi reached down and grabbed both of Ami’s hands in her own. Ami felt her cheeks turn hot at the contact. “Let's go to the arcade!” Usagi said eagerly.

Ami was confused. “Wait, what?”

Usagi’s smile grew even wider. “Duh! We’re friends now, and friends hang out together. And what better place to start than my favorite place of all time: the arcade!”

Ami smiled nervously. She didn’t think her first friendship in years would move this quickly, but she didn’t want to turn down the girl, especially with how eager she seemed. Plus, she was rather pretty herself…

Usagi’s plan had worked like a charm! She knew no one could resist her puppy dog eyes! “Now with any luck, I’ll become best friends with this girl, and she’ll let me copy all of her homework and test answers! I’m a genius!” Usagi said under her breath.

“Did you say something?”

Usagi snapped up, hoping Ami hadn’t heard her. “Uh, nothing! Just so happy we’re friends now! C’mon, let’s go get some high scores!”

* * *

“How the heck did I get NEGATIVE POINTS?!” Usagi yelled as she pounded her fists on the Sailor V game. “This game is rigged! Rigged I say!”

Ami couldn’t help but laugh. Usagi had spent nearly a half hour trying to beat one level, she had wasted all of her spare change, and like she had made clear, she somehow managed to get a negative score. Ami didn’t even know that was possible, and clearly neither did Usagi. “Do you mind if I have a turn now, Usagi?”

The blonde girl looked up at Ami. She had almost forgotten the girl was here! This game had serious power over her. “Sure! I’ll warn you though, it’s rigged beyond belief.”

Ami sat down and delicately placed her hands on the controls. “I’ll just have to be careful then…” She pressed start.

Moments later, Usagi’s jaw was on the ground and her eyes were nearly out of their sockets. Ami had gotten the highest score on the leaderboard, after beating LEVEL ONE. She didn’t know whether to love or hate this girl now, but she settled on love as to not ruin her chance at free homework. Usagi heard other voices behind her, and she became aware that dozens of other people had gathered around Ami to watch her play.

Ami was overwhelmed. The game wasn’t that difficult, so why did the people seem so impressed? She wasn’t used to this kind of attention, especially from strangers. Thankfully, a familiar voice brought her senses back.

“That was amazing, Ami!” Usagi cheered, taking the girls hands in her own again. “You have to teach me your strategies sometime! You’re incredible!”

Ami felt something unusual in her mind. Was she feeling… flattered? She could feel her cheeks turn red again at Usagi’s touch. Her hands were so warm and soft and delicate, like the touch of an angel… “Um… thank you…” she said shyly.

The two girls looked down as they heard a light clinking noise. They saw that a blue pen had dropped out of a small slot below the game’s control panel.

“Wait, I didn’t know this game gives out prizes!” Usagi whined. “I’ve been playing this game for years, so how come I’ve never gotten one?!”

Ami picked up the pen. It was unlike any pen she’d ever seen, but definitely looked like an arcade prize. It was light blue, with a shiny gold cap that had a strange ring on top of it. She wasn’t sure, but Ami thought she saw a small symbol engraved in the center of the ring.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ami caught sight of the clock. It was 4:20. “Oh no, I have cram school in ten minutes! I’m going to be late!” She quickly picked up her backpack and pushed passed the crowd, moving towards the exit.

“Wait, Ami!” Usagi called after her. “Do you have to go? I’m having so much fun!”

Ami briefly turned back to her new friend. “Sorry Usagi, but I can’t be late! We’ll do this again some other time, I promise!” As Ami dashed out the doors to the arcade, something fell out of her backpack and clattered to the floor. She didn’t seem to notice it, because she kept going and didn’t look back.

Usagi pouted at Ami’s last comment. “Being late isn’t so bad…” She then noticed the item that Ami dropped. She went over to inspect it, and found it to be a CD of some sort. On the front was a fine bold print that read ‘Crystal Seminar.’ Usagi grinned widely and immediately pocketed the disc, making her way back home.

* * *

Ami just barely managed to make it to her cram school, but she was the last one to sit down. Great, now she knew how it felt to be irresponsible. She was experiencing so many new emotions today. As she turned on her computer, she reached into her backpack to retrieve her Crystal Seminar DVD, but panicked when it was nowhere to be found. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten the most important thing to bring to class! Oh well, it’s not like the teacher paid attention to what the students did anyway. She’d just work on something else for the day.

As Ami looked around the room, she noticed that the other students appeared to be fixated on their computers, not moving an inch. It was odd, even eerie to some extent, how focused they seemed. Even though they were supposed to spend every second here studying, there was still something off about the atmosphere today. Ami couldn’t put her finger on it, but something definitely didn’t feel right. Cautiously, she took out her new pen and some notebooks, beginning to work on some pre-calculus she had been assigned. Even though it was only an arcade prize, the pen looked and felt very expensive, almost like a piece of jewelry. As she began writing, even the ink sparkled and shimmered under the dim light of the classroom. A glitter pen? Not usually her style, but it was an arcade prize after all. As Ami continued to work, the teacher eyed her suspiciously from the front of the room.

* * *

Usagi burst into her room, still bearing the same wide grin from the arcade. She sat down at her desk and opened up her laptop, a very expensive gift from her mother. She placed the Crystal Seminar disk in the CD tray and waited as the program booted up.

“Usagi, what're you doing?” Luna had been napping on the girl's bed, but was woken up by the sudden ruckus she was making.

“Just seeing what’s on this CD my friend Ami dropped!” she beamed. “With any luck, it's a bunch of stuff that'll make me smarter!”

Luna narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you should be doing this, Usagi? I mean, you basically stole that from her.”

Usagi just kept smiling. “I didn’t steal it! She dropped it. Besides, it’s not stealing if I give it back. I just want to copy any notes she might have on here.”

Luna stood up and hopped over to the desk. “Isn’t that still academic dishonesty, though?”

Usagi’s smile finally dropped at this remark. “Oh, give it a rest, Luna! What do you know about the school system anyway?”

On the computer screen, the software finally finished loading, and Usagi turned to see what was on screen. “I hope it’s English notes! That’s my worst subject ever!” She stared at the screen as the window appeared, but instead of English notes, Usagi found herself looking at a blank white screen. She was confused at first, and that confusion turned to disappointment, and that disappointment turned into frustration. There wasn’t anything on here! No notes, no answers, no homework, no nothing! Then what was Ami carrying this disc around for then? She’d have to ask her blue-haired friend tomorrow, because no normal person carried around nothing. Usagi was about to close down the program and embrace the horror of homework, but she found herself unable to look away from the screen. Even though the screen was blank, she was utterly transfixed by the whiteness. It almost seemed like an endless void that just went on forever. From out of nowhere, Usagi began to hear a voice whispering at the back of her mind. She couldn’t tell exactly where it was coming from, but it almost seemed to be coming from her computer. “You shall serve the great ruler, Queen Metalia,” the voice whispered. “You shall serve the great ruler, Queen Metalia.”

Luna didn’t know why Usagi had stopped moving. There was nothing on the screen, so shouldn't she be shutting it down? As she looked closer, she noticed that Usagi’s eyes looked familiar somehow. They were just like how they looked when she found her reading that evil manga the other day! Luna quickly focused her senses, and indeed there was a dark energy emitting from the computer, or more likely from the CD inside of it. On instinct, Luna leapt onto Usagi’s desk, raised her paw into the air, extended her claws, and swiped at the computer with all her might. Despite her small size, Luna was able to smash the computer screen, breaking the program’s control over the blonde girl.

“Luna! Did you have to destroy my computer?!” Usagi cried. “My mom’s gonna have my head for this!”

“Well what was I supposed to do?” Luna asked defensively. “That disc was trying to control your mind!”

“Maybe you could have taken the disc out of the computer?” Usagi said, gesturing to the crushed CD tray.

Luna thought for a moment, then lowered her head, knowing she was in the wrong this time. “You’re right. My apologies, that was a little impulsive of me.”

Usagi crossed her arms and nodded, silently chastising her feline companion. Then, another thought crossed her mind. “Wait, why would Ami have a disc made by the Dark Kingdom?”

“Perhaps she is an agent of the Dark Kingdom? Maybe she intentionally dropped that disc thinking you would pick it up…” Luna began to consider, before Usagi got up in her face.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Ami is not evil! She’s the sweetest, smartest, most innocent girl I’ve ever met!” she practically shouted at the black cat.

Luna backed up nervously, but raised an eyebrow nonetheless. “But you only met her today…” She then noticed the label on the disc: Crystal Seminar. “Wait, the Crystal Seminar… is that the cram school Ami went to?”

Usagi sat back down, calm again. “Yeah, why?”

A dozen thoughts raced through Luna’s mind, until she eventually came to a conclusion that made her eyes widen. “Oh no… if the school gave her that disc, that must mean a monster is one of her teachers! She and her entire class could be in danger right now!”

As soon as Usagi heard this, she stood up, grabbed the cat, and began shaking her violently back and forth. “Then what are we sitting around for?! We have to go save Ami RIGHT NOW!!!”

Luna’s eyes rolled around in their sockets, her head spinning from Usagi’s sudden assault. When she finally recovered from her brain rattling, she narrowed her eyes bravely. “Right then, let’s go Sailor Moon!”

* * *

Ami sat contently at her desk, finishing up her pre-calculus assignment. It had been relatively easy, as math was her best subject. At this point, any tension she felt from the classroom had left her. That is, until her teacher came over and stood over her menacingly. Ami looked up at her nervously, taken aback by her teacher’s intimidating demeanor.

“Miss Mizuno, why aren’t you using the Crystal Seminar disc I gave you yesterday?” she asked in a rather condescending manner.

Ami frowned sadly. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Takashi. I must have misplaced my CD sometime earlier today. I promise I’ll find it and bring it tomorrow.”

Mrs. Takashi simply smiled lightly and leaned down to her desk. “Nonsense, child. I have a spare CD right here,” she said, taking out another Crystal Seminar disc and inserting it into the computer.

Ami watched as the program came up on screen, but she was confused when the window that came up was blank. “Um… are you sure this is the right disc, Mrs. Takashi? There’s nothing--”

“Hush, child,” Mrs. Takashi interrupted. “Just focus on the screen and nothing else. That’s why you're here after all: to strengthen your mind.”

Ami kept her gaze on the white screen. She wanted to protest further, but couldn’t. She couldn’t look away from the computer, let alone move a muscle in her body. On top of that, she heard a faint voice coming from the screen, seeping into her ears and manipulating her mind. “You shall serve the great ruler, Queen Metalia. You shall serve the great ruler, Queen Metalia,” it said over and over again.

Mrs. Takashi grinned mischievously. Everything was in place now. It was time to begin harvesting energy from these pathetic children…

* * *

Usagi peeked around the corner at the entrance to Ami’s cram school. The building looked like a prison; a big white block with dark windows and two guards standing at the front entrance. The Bun-headed girl was suddenly happy she went to the school she did.

Luna stood patiently at the girl’s feet. “I’m picking up a massive amount of dark energy from this building. We have to get in there fast! Now, we just need a way to get you past those guards…”

“Oh please,” Usagi chirped. She lifted up one leg, placed a hand on her hip, and flashed a V-sign over her eyes. “I’ll just walk right up to them and ask to go inside! Guys would never turn down a beautiful young girl, now would they?”

Luna sighed. “I think you’re overestimating yourself, Usagi…”

The blonde quickly dropped her cute act and bent down to Luna, her forehead popping a vein. “Speak for yourself, Miss Computer Wrecker! How do you propose I get inside?”

Luna winked up at the angry girl. “I’ve got just the thing.” The black cat concentrated, the crescent moon on her forehead glowing and releasing a beam of light. From within the bright beam, a small pink pen with a red crystal on top appeared. Usagi watched in wonder, reaching out to grab it. “Consider this my payment for your laptop.”

“What is it?” Usagi asked, inspecting the pen curiously.

“That’s the Disguise Pen. It originally belonged to the Princess, but any soldier of the Moon Kingdom can wield its power,” Luna explained. “All you have to do is hold it up, say ‘Moon Power,’ and then tell it what you want it to disguise you as. Now, I believe this situation calls for--”

“MOON POWER! Change me into… A DOCTOR!!!”

Much like her Transformation Brooch, the Disguise Pen enveloped Usagi in a brilliant ball of light. She could feel her school uniform dissolve from her body and a new outfit form in its place. When the light dissipated, Usagi was now dressed in a short pink doctor’s uniform dress, complete with a medical kit in her hand.

Luna’s expression dropped, a huge bead of sweat forming on the side of her head. “I was going to say change into a security guard like them…”

“Less lip, more zip!” Usagi said cheerily. She suddenly picked up the black cat and forcefully stuffed her into the medical kit.

Luna was caught off guard, and immediately began putting up a fight. “Usagi! What’re you-- mmph!” She was cut off when Usagi snapped the kit closed.

“Sorry Luna! Just trust me, I have this under control!” The blonde girl then took off running towards the entrance, not even slowing down when the guards saw her approaching and eyed her suspiciously. “Excuse me! There’s been a medical emergency in this building! I need to get in right away!” Still not stopping, Usagi dashed past the guards and into the cram school. The guards were perplexed. The girl looked awfully young to be a doctor, but if someone’s life was at risk, they had no choice but to let her go.

Once she knew they were inside, Luna burst out of the medical kit, hopping onto the floor and scowling at Usagi. “I can’t even fathom how that worked! Mind telling me what that was all about?”

Usagi smiled brightly, striking another pose. “Oh, I just thought a doctor's outfit would be cuter, that’s all.”

Luna’s eyes went wide at the girl’s words, not to mention at how casually and happily she admitted them. “Wait, you mean you didn’t even know it would get you past the guards?!”

Usagi just kept moving down the hall. “Chill out, Luna! The important thing is we’re inside. Now we have to save Ami!”

Remembering why they were here, Luna let go of the young girl’s antics and followed her towards the stairs that led to the upper floor.

* * *

Mrs. Takashi looked around her classroom. All of her students, including Ami, were now fixated on their computer screens. Her hypnosis program had worked wonderfully! Now it was time to begin draining their energy for Queen Metalia…

“STOP RIGHT THERE!!!”

The woman turned to see where the unexpected high-pitched voice originated from, and she found herself face to face with a young girl standing in the doorway. And she was dressed in… a doctor’s uniform? “What is the meaning of this?” she hissed.

“I know what you really are!” the girl said, pointing a finger at the teacher. “You’re an agent of the Dark Kingdom, aren’t you?”

Mrs. Takashi was surprised. How did this girl know who she was? As she looked closer, she noticed a pair of distinctive blonde buns and pigtails stop the girl’s head. Hadn’t she heard about someone with that very hairstyle? No… it couldn’t be!

“Yes I am,” she said maliciously, baring her teeth at the young intruder. “And you must be Sailor Moon, is that correct?”

Usagi placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out heroically. “That’s right! And now I’m going to stop whatever evil plot you’re plotting!”

“MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

Mrs. Takashi was temporarily blinded by a eye-scorching light that seemed to be as bright as the sun. When she looked back to the supposed doctor, she was shocked to see that her outfit had changed to a sailor uniform. “So I was right…”

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I’LL PUNISH YOU!”

Mrs. Takashi stared at Sailor Moon for a moment, before lowering her head and chuckling demonically. “Don’t get so cocky, you damned Sailor Soldier…” The teacher’s body began to stretch out, ripping her clothes and forming new garments over her body. Her skin turned a deep shade of red, her features became pointy and sharp, and her clothes changed from a standard teacher’s suit jacket and dress skirt into an outfit that resembled a stripper teacher. She wore a strapless white one piece, a black tie, long black stockings with high heels, and wicked triangular glasses. Her nails were now extremely long as well, and her hair stood up like Frankenstein’s bride.

Sailor Moon stepped back, not prepared at all for this appearance. “You certainly are… different from the other monsters I’ve fought.”

“I am the mighty Brainiac of the Dark Kingdom! Prepare to have your mind warped and destroyed, Sailor Moon!” the succubus-looking monster announced.

“Oh yeah?” Sailor Moon smirked confidently. “And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

Brainiac mirrored the girl’s smile. “By subjecting you to a test!”

Sailor Moon felt heart sink at these words. She kept her smile bright and wide, but she could feel tears forming on the edge of her eyes. “I am so royally screwed…”

“First question!” Brainiac announced. “How many centimeters are in a decimeter?”

“Um…” Sailor Moon mumbled, scratching her head. “A thousand?”

“Wrong answer!” Brainiac growled. She held up a blank piece of paper, which became enveloped in a black and purple aura. She threw the paper at Sailor Moon, which the young soldier dodged with relative ease. However, the paper managed to clip her hair, slicing off several golden strands.

“Eep…” Sailor Moon said weakly.

“Second question! How long does a mother cat remain with her offspring before leaving them?” the demonic teacher asked.

Sailor Moon’s eyebrows creased and her eyes went white with anger. “What kind of a dumb question is that?! I don’t know what kind of eggs cats lay!”

Luna slapped her paw against her forehead and groaned. “You have got to be kidding me,” she said, feeling as if she had just lost a few brain cells.

“Wrong again!” Brainiac called out before throwing three more razor sharp pieces of paper at Sailor Moon. The blonde girl ducked behind one of the student’s cubicles, narrowly avoiding getting cut to ribbons. “Last question! Get this one wrong and I will show no mercy!” Sailor Moon began biting her fingernails, bracing for the next ‘impossible’ question. “What is the English Translation for the Japanese term ‘Hai?’”

At this point, Sailor Moon had given up all hope. “Crud, this has always been my worst subject!” she whined. “Um… uh… why does English have to be so hard?!”

Luna couldn’t take it anymore. “Usagi! Hai translates to Yes! Everyone knows that!”

Sailor Moon stood up and shook her fist at the black cat. “Well you don’t have to rub it in, smarty-pants!” She turned to Brainiac and jabbed her finger at her. “Hai means Yes in English! Everyone knows that, you freak!”

Luna couldn’t help but sigh again. She had about enough of this girl, regardless of whether or not she was a Sailor Soldier.

“Sorry, but outside help counts as cheating!” Brainiac laughed. Sailor Moon’s arm fell limp to her side. Now it was all over… “Prepare to face the consequences for your actions!” Brainiac turned around and looked out over her classroom, snapping her fingers at one of the cubicles. “Miss Mizuno! Come forth and kill this insolent girl!”

Usagi’s eyes went wide with concern. “Miss… Mizuno?” She prayed that she was remembering that name wrong.

Lo and behold, from out of the cubicle stepped Ami, only she clearly wasn’t herself. She didn’t even seem to notice Sailor Moon was there. Instead, she appeared to be staring off into space with eyes that lacked any pupils. Without warning, the girl charged at Sailor Moon and grabbed her by the throat, shoving her up against the wall.

“Ami…” Sailor Moon stammered, struggling to breathe. “Stop it…”

“Sailor Moon!” Luna cried out. She rushed over, intending to knock the blue-haired girl away. However, she was cut off by a glowing piece of paper striking and embedding into the floor in front of her.

“Do not interfere, filthy rodent!” Brainiac hissed.

Ami began to tighten her grip around Sailor Moon’s neck. The soldier’s face was beginning to turn red as all the blood in her body rushed to her brain to try and preserve it. She could feel her lungs beginning to burn, her vision start to fade, her body start to go numb. Was this how she was going to go out? Being strangled by one of her new friends? She felt like this was retaliation for wanting to use the girl for homework and test answers. If she ever got out of this situation, she promised to remain Ami's friend and not make her share any of her work. “Ami… please…”

Just as Sailor Moon was about to lose consciousness, she felt Ami’s hands release her neck. Immediately, Sailor Moon dropped to her knees and gasped for air. As her vision came back, she looked up and saw two things: Ami standing some distance away now, still apparently in a trance, and a tall dark figure a standing protectively over her. Even without seeing his face, Sailor Moon knew exactly who it was.

“Tuxedo Mask!” she cried out joyously. “You saved me again!”

The handsomely-dressed man turned around and grinned. “Looks like I got here just in time,” he said. “It wasn’t easy, I had to knock out a couple guards to get in.”

Sailor Moon stood up and held his arm for a moment. “My hero! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Tuxedo Mask simply smiled down at the girl’s rather adorable display of affection. “Charmed,” he simply said.

“Enough of this!” Brainiac interrupted. “Miss Mizuno, do not let up! Kill them both! Remember, you serve Queen Metalia now!”

Hearing this, Sailor Moon let go of Tuxedo Mask and walked forward, her eyes narrowed. “No she doesn’t! Ami doesn’t serve you or anyone and she never will! Neither will any of this other kids!” She turned to Ami, her expression and voice softening. “Ami, listen to me! You have to snap out of it! You’re smarter than her… heck, you’re the smartest girl I’ve ever met! That means you can fight her control! I know you can!” Ami kept striding towards Sailor Moon, her arms beginning to reach out again. “No, you’re not just smart! Ami, you’re my friend!”

Those four words seemed to instantly break whatever control was holding onto Ami. Her pupils returned to normal, and her conscience became clear. She began frantically looking around the classroom, confused at nearly everything she saw. “Miss Takashi? Sailor Moon?” She didn’t recognize the man in a tuxedo, but then again she barely recognized her teacher either. The one thing she did recognize, however, was the beautiful blonde girl standing before her, a bright smile etched on her face.

“Ami! You’re back!” Sailor Moon beamed.

“U-Usagi?” Ami stammered. “You’re… Sailor Moon?”

Sailor Moon was taken aback. Apparently she had made it too obvious. “What? N-No! Of course not, I’m--”

“Silence, foolish girl!” Brainiac screamed suddenly. “I will not tolerate any more delays!” She whipped out another sheet of paper and coated it in the dark aura. She took aim directly at the blonde-haired heroine. “Die, Sailor Moon!!!”

Sailor Moon screamed and braced for the pain when she saw what was about to come.

“Sailor Moon!” Luna and Tuxedo Mask cried out in unison.

Ami saw what was happening, and a wave of pure and utter terror suddenly hit her. Usagi was about to be killed by that monster! What felt like hundreds of emotions suddenly began rushing through Ami’s mind. She felt concern, fear, sadness, and… anger? Was that really one of them? She had never felt anything like that before. And yet, that one emotion, anger, felt like it was the strongest one. She felt like if she embraced it, she could stop all this madness. She could save herself and Sailor Moon. She could defeat this malicious atrocity that threatened her friend!

“Stop it! LEAVE HER ALONE!!!”

All eyes were now on Ami. Brainiac halted her attack to see who else dared to interrupt her evil deeds. However, the brainy succubus was met only with another blinding light like the one Sailor Moon had given off. Only this time, instead of pure white, the light was a regal blue color, like that of the ocean itself. Brainiac focused her vision, and could make out the source of the light: a symbol had appeared on Ami’s forehead. It was the symbol of the planet Mercury.

Luna was stunned. Could this girl really be one of them? Only one person she ever knew bore that mark, but was this girl actually her? There was only one way to find out. “Ami!” Luna called out. “Take out your Transformation Pen, hold it up to the sky and shout ‘Mercury Power, Make Up!’”

Normally, Ami would have taken a moment to question the fact that a cat had just spoken to her, but her mind was currently fixated elsewhere. On top of that, a voice at the back of her mind was telling her to do the same thing. She didn’t understand anything about what was going on right now, but she did understand one thing: She had to protect Usagi!

“MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

The pen began to emit a bright light, completely illuminating the darkened classroom. Ami brought the pen down, drawing out the symbol for Mercury in the air in front of her. She reached forward and touched the floating symbol, causing a huge wave of water to erupt behind her. As the wave came down and washed over her, Ami could feel cold tendrils of water wrapping around her arms, legs and torso. When the water disappeared, she found herself adorned in a white and blue sailor uniform, with white elbow-length gloves and blue knee-high boots. Finally, she felt a tingling sensation above her eyes as a golden tiara with a blue gem at the center formed atop her forehead.

Sailor Moon watched in amazement as the girl transformed. Her outfit looked the same as hers, but it was mostly light blue instead of dark blue and pink. “Ami, is that you?”

The blue-haired girl could hardly wrap her mind around what just happened. Just when she thought she was done with new feelings for the day, this transformation she apparently went through made her feel a rush of power, as if this cute little sailor uniform somehow made her stronger. Once again, she heard the call at the back of her mind, compelling her to face Brainiac and strike a pose.

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!!!”

Brainiac’s eyes went wide. “Two… Sailor Soldiers?!” She could almost hear the shake in her voice. She was sure she could kill Sailor Moon herself, but there was no way she stood any chance against two of them! For the first time in her life, Brainiac knew what was it was like to feel fear for her own life. It seems Ami wasn’t the only one learning new emotions today. “No… no this can’t be happening!” Brainiac screeched, narrowing her eyes. “I will not fail my great ruler!!!”

The skimpily-dressed monster changed her aim to Sailor Mercury, throwing the paper she still held directly at the new Sailor Soldier. Sailor Moon cried out to her fellow soldier, warning her to get out of the way, but Ami stood her ground, a determined look in her eyes.

“MERCURY AQUA MIST!!!”

Ami spread her arms out wide, two spirals of water forming in each of her hands. The spirals began spraying out a thick, freezing cold mist that covered the entire room in mere seconds. Upon coming into contact with the mist, Brainiac’s paper lost its dark aura halfway towards Ami, instead becoming limp and drifting down to the floor like a normal piece of paper.

“Damn you!” Brainiac screamed in anger. She turned her head from side to side, unable to see where Sailor Mercury, Sailor Moon, or Tuxedo Mask were. “It’s so cold…” she lamented as she hugged her torso, trying to conserve body heat. Just then, a tall shadow appeared in front of her. “There you are!” Brainiac lashed out with a clawed hand, intending to impale whoever was there on her long nails. Instead, her wrist was caught by a gloved hand, halting her attack. The surrounding mist began to fade, and Brainiac found herself at eye level with Tuxedo Mask. “You!”

The tuxedo-clad man tightened his grip on the monster’s wrist and yanked her towards him, driving his knee into her stomach. Brainiac fell to her knees, the wind knocked out of her, and tried to take in air. “Sailor Moon, finish her now!”

Sailor Moon had been hugging the wall in fear all the while, but now that the mist was gone, she could finally see where she was going again. Hearing what her hero said, Sailor Moon took off her tiara and turned it into a sharp disc.

“MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!”

The tiara was released from Sailor Moon’s grasp and it sailed across the room, perfectly in line with Brainiac. The monster held her arm up defensively, but it proved to be futile as the tiara phased right through her forearm and subsequently through her head. Brainiac just sat there, stunned as her arm separated at the elbow and dropped to the floor, quickly followed by her head splitting down the middle into a v-shape. Sailor Moon cringed at the sight, not intending to be so unnecessarily brutal. Thankfully, the succubus was put out of her misery as her body turned grey and crumbled into dust.

“I think I’m going to be sick…” Luna groaned.

Just then, the effects of Brainiac’s mind control began to wear off. All the other students in the room finally looked up from their computers, rubbing their sore heads and inspecting their surroundings.

“What the heck happened?” one said. “Why does my head hurt so bad?

“And how did it get this late so fast?” another asked, noticing that the sun was setting outside.

The other students began discussing what could be a possible explanation for the strange circumstances they had all woken up to. Luckily for the Sailor Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask, all three were able to quietly slip away before anyone noticed them.

* * *

As daylight came to an end and dusk settled in, Ami found herself walking home after a long and exhausting day. However, something was different about today: she wasn't alone. Next to her was a gorgeous blonde girl who couldn’t stop raving about how repulsive the way she had killed that monster was. Ami had what seemed like millions of questions on standby, but she wasn’t sure if she would ever get the chance to ask them.

“And if that wasn’t bad enough, her head split apart!” Usagi continued to whine. “I think I got a headache just from looking at her!”

Ami seized the millisecond of an opportunity she had to interrupt the girl next to her. “Usagi, did all of that just really happen?” she asked. “Are we really these… Sailor Soldiers, or whatever that monster called us?”

Usagi was about to answer, but Luna suddenly leapt on top of the blonde girl’s head and began to explain herself. “That’s correct, Ami. Usagi here is Sailor Moon, the leader of the Moon Princess’ royal guard. You are Sailor Mercury, soldier of wisdom and the Princess’ chief technological advisor.” Ami couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Who was this Moon Princess she was talking about? “Not to mention you were also the most intelligent person in the entire Moon Kingdom!”

Ami’s eyes widened. It had always been her dream to be considered one of the smartest, but the MOST intelligent? She was about to ask more questions, but Usagi yanked the black cat off her head and interjected. “Wow, that’s so cool Ami! I can’t believe my new best friend was the most smartest person on the moon!” Now Ami couldn’t help but blush. It had been years since she had received any compliments or had any friends, but now that it was all happening at once, it was overwhelming, but it felt… right. The only problem was she had no idea how to return the compliments. Should she compliment Usagi back? Heaven knows she would love to tell her how beautiful she was…

“Thank you,” she settled on. It was too early for her to be saying stuff like that. She was grateful for Usagi’s company, but Ami felt she had to wait awhile before commenting on the blonde girl’s angelic looks.

“You’re very much welcome, Sailor Mercury!” Usagi replied with a wink at the end. She then looked up and saw the address they had arrived at. “Well, this is my stop! See you tomorrow, Ami!” With that, Usagi entered through the front gate to her house and headed towards the front door.

Luna stayed behind and looked up at Ami. “I apologize if she annoyed you. She’s very spastic and energetic. She has a long way to go before she’s ready to lead anybody.”

Ami simply watched the golden-haired beauty go, a smile crossing her face-- something that didn’t happen too often with her. “I think she’ll make an amazing leader some day…”

* * *

Kunzite stood sadly before Queen Metalia. “I… I’m sorry, your majesty. I had no idea that another Sailor Soldier would appear. Please… grant me another chance!”

Queen Metalia hissed as her essence swirled in the glass sphere. Then, the essence froze, and a jagged bolt of black lightning shot forth and struck Kunzite, painfully electrocuting him. The silver-haired man let out a cry of agony, feeling as if his entire skeleton, along with every muscle in his body, had been set on fire. After several gut-wrenching seconds of this torture, the lightning ceased, and Kunzite fell to his hands and knees, his skin smoking and his breathing labored.

“Of course you can have another chance,” Metalia said politely. “But consider that a warning for what will happen if you fail again.”

* * *

Usagi walked into her foyer, taking in the intoxicating scent of a freshly cooked meal. “Mmmm! What’s for sup-sup tonight?” The girl took two steps into her home, when suddenly what sounded like a crazed wild animal roared from upstairs.

“USAGIIIII!!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR LAPTOP?!?!”

Usagi’s face turned blue. “Oh… no…”

 

_~A Suivre~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all like how I'm handling Ami so far! Also wondering if anyone caught onto the hints I gave about her in this chapter... More on that in the next chapter ;)  
> Feel free to leave a review!


	4. Ami's True Colors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 4! This is Ami's first focus-episode. This is my longest chapter yet, and now that I'm really getting into the story they may get progressively longer, depending on the content of each chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 4: Ami’s True Colors

The sun peeked its head over the arctic horizon, casting a heavenly golden shine on the snow that covered the ground for miles. Soon enough, the light reached the walls of a large stone castle that was half-buried in the snow. A nearby snowy owl was gliding over the drifts, looking for a meal to swoop down on. Unfortunately, it just happened to fly right into the castle’s invisible barrier, disintegrating the poor creature instantly.

Inside the castle walls, a ray of sunlight shined through a partially opened curtain and onto a large regal-looking bed. Two large bumps in the bed began to stir, and one eventually rolled over and stood up. The muscular brown-haired man walked over to the curtains, wearing only a tank top and baggy shorts, and threw them open, spreading sunlight all over the room. This caused the other bump in the bed to squirm a little.

“Is it morning already?” a voice came from the bed.

Nephrite simply chuckled. “It's the crack of dawn, love. All creatures of the world rise at this time.”

The person in the bed turned over and pulled the covers down some, revealing Zoisite’s upper body, not wearing a shirt. “The way this world operates makes me sick. Everytime I’m having a magnificent dream, the sun decides to disturb me!”

Nephrite leaned down and grabbed Zoisite’s chin, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “That’s the ignorant world we’re going to destroy, my dear. Have patience,” he said soothingly. He then stood back up and put on his knight uniform. “I’m going out for awhile. I'll return soon.”

Zoisite immediately sat up and looked worried. “Please don’t tell me you're going to that dreadful city again!” he cried. “That’s where the Sailor Soldiers reside! If they discovered you, they might… they could…” He began to lose his voice at the end, but Nephrite quickly placed a finger of his lip and smiled down at him.

“You underestimate me, Zoisite. I’m sure I’ll be able to handle any… inconveniences I may run into.” Zoisite smiled at this remark. “Besides, I intend to visit a new tea shop that just finished construction. I must admit, if there is anything I will miss about the humans, it is their fine delicacies.”

Zoisite took Nephrite’s hand in his own. “Oh, you must take me to try it sometime, love!” he chirped.

“In time, my dear, in time,” Nephrite said as he stepped back and began to walk out of the room. “Make sure you are ready by the time I return. I'm sure Queen Metalia will have an assignment for us.”

Zoisite giggled. “Hopefully I won’t drift off again,” he said jokingly.

Nephrite smiled at the blonde man once more before exiting the room and shutting the door.

* * *

Ami strolled down the streets of Tokyo, not in the best mood. Somehow, overnight, her favorite coffee shop had been closed down. She had gone there nearly every morning for the past few years, and she more or less relied on that place to give her energy for the day. Now, she had been forced to leave the shop behind and head to school with an empty stomach and eyes that refused to open all the way. There was no way she could make it through the day like this. She had to find another place to get some energy…

As she scanned the surrounding buildings, she noticed a sign in front of one that said “Welcome! Just Opened!” She looked up and saw that it was a tea shop, named Tai Chi Tea, and people were flocking inside to apparently give the new establishment a try. Ami sighed. It may not be coffee, but it was something. The blue-haired girl crossed the street and headed into the tea shop, taking in the building's sweet scent and elegant interior design. It was laid out like something from the feudal era of Japan, with bonbori paper lamps hanging from the ceiling, waitresses walking around in kimonos, and pretty much all the furniture being made out of wood and bamboo. Ami was quite impressed. However, she couldn’t fully appreciate the place until she tried the tea. As she walked around looking for someplace to sit, she accidently walked right into a tall man with long brown hair, causing him to spill his tea all over his shirt.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, mister!” Ami apologized, quickly backing up and raising her hands in defense.

The man looked up from his now tea-covered shirt and glared at her. “Stupid girl! Look what you’ve done!”

“Please forgive me! It was an accident!” Ami said, bowing to the man. Instead of responding, he simply grunted and walked away and over to the main counter. Ami sighed in relief, grateful the man had not decided to retaliate or make her pay for anything.

Ami finally found a place to sit down, and as a waitress came up to her, she heard the man yelling at the lady behind the counter. “What do you mean I have to pay you again?! That stupid girl spilled my tea! I deserve a free refill!” The lady tried to say some consoling words to the man, but instead he threw his tea cup to the ground, shattering it, before storming towards the entrance. “Your service is atrocious! Someday this place will burn down!” Ami didn’t like the sound of that, but thankfully the man was finally gone. She told the waitress her order and relaxed at her table, hoping the tea wouldn’t take too long. She had a good hour before school started, so she wasn’t too worried.

Just then, Ami noticed a faint blue light shining through her backpack. She opened it up and took out her Transformation Pen. The symbol for Mercury was etched into the golden ring on top of the cap, and it was blinking a bright blue light. What could be the reason for this? Before she could figure it out, the ring stopped blinking, putting Ami’s mind at ease.

* * *

Usagi's eyes were fixed on her test. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, with tears brimming on the edges of them. Her bottom lip quivered and she began to whimper at the back of her throat. She was holding her English test from yesterday, easily her worst subject of all time. Although, she hadn't expected it to be this bad. At the top of the test, once again circled and underlined in bright red ink, was the number twenty.

“Care to explain this one, Miss Tsukino?” Ms. Sakurada said in a condescending tone.

Usagi looked up to her teacher with puppy dog eyes. “I… forgot to study again?” she said in a voice that could barely be heard.

Ms. Sakurada shook her head. “Tell me something, Usagi,” she began. “How often do you actually study for tests?”

“Oh… you know… occasionally…” Usagi’s eyes drifted to the left as she spoke.

“I thought so,” the teacher interrupted, knowing exactly what the girl’s answer meant. “Normally I would scold you and yell at you to get your act together, but I think it’s clear at this point that doesn’t work. I think what you need more than anything is a tutor.”

Usagi raised an eyebrow. “A tutor?”

“Yes, someone who will help you develop good study habits and teach you better learning strategies,” Sakurada went on. “And I think there’s someone who’s been offering that to you for some time.”

The blonde girl’s heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. “No, you don’t mean…”

Before Usagi could finish, someone set a large book case down on top of her head, nearly planting her face into the teacher’s desk. “So, Bun-Head, wanna finally take me up on my offer?” Mamoru Chiba said. “Sounds like you need it now more than ever.”

Usagi’s eyes became red and veiny as her forehead creased in anger. She whirled around to face the annoying taller boy. “I think I’d rather fail than be tutored by you any week of the day!”

Mamoru chuckled at the girl’s misstep. “Don’t you mean ‘any day of the week?’”

Usagi was taken aback by the boy’s correction. He and the teacher had her in a corner. She knew she needed a tutor, but like hell it was going to be this jerk! Usagi’s eyes darted around the classroom until she noticed Ami sitting at her desk, nose buried in a book. “B-besides, I already have a tutor!” the blonde said suddenly.

Mamoru and Ms. Sakurada looked shocked beyond belief. “You do?!” they said simultaneously.

“Yeah!” Usagi ran over to Ami’s desk and wrapped her arms around the girl’s neck in a tight hug. Ami’s eyes bugged out of her head as her air supply was suddenly cut off. “Ami’s tutoring me!”

“She is?” Ms. Sakurada questioned.

Ami was surprised by Usagi’s sudden and very… insistent request, but the blue-haired girl nodded her head nonetheless, unable to speak a response due to currently being strangled by Usagi.

Ms. Sakurada smiled. “Well, I’m glad to hear that! Miss Mizuno is our top student after all.” She then turned to Ami herself. “And I’m so glad to see you’re already making friends! It usually takes transfer students some time to adjust, but that’s clearly not the case with you.” The teacher turned back to Usagi and narrowed her eyes at her. “As long as Usagi isn’t being a bad influence on you…”

Usagi tensed up at her teacher’s death-stare, causing her arms to tighten around Ami’s neck, nearly collapsing the girl’s windpipe. “Of course not, Ms. Sakurada! The two of us get along just fine!”

Sakurada sighed in relief. “That's good to know.” She turned to Mamoru. “Apologies, Mr. Chiba. Looks like you’ll just have to find someone else.”

Mamoru bowed to his teacher. “It’s no trouble whatsoever.” He looked over at Usagi. “I’m just happy Bun-Head here is getting the help she needs!”

Usagi’s eyes went blank like a ghost. In her rage, she unconsciously tightened her grip around Ami's neck even more. The air-deprived girl saw her life flash before her eyes. “I told you before: DON’T CALL ME BUN-HEAD YOU JERK!”

Just as Ami felt she was about to pass out, Usagi released her hold on her neck. She instantly took in a giant breath of air, refueling her lungs and giving oxygen to her brain once again. However, not even giving her a second of a break, Usagi grabbed the nerdy girl’s hand and pulled her out of her seat.

“C’mon Ami, let’s get away from this weirdo!” Usagi said, pulling her friend along like a dog on a leash. As the two passed Mamoru, Usagi pulled down her bottom eyelid and stuck out her tongue at the dark-haired boy. Mamoru simply sighed and waved kindly at her.

Ami wasn’t paying attention to Usagi’s antics. She was too distracted by the softness of Usagi’s hand. It was like the delicate touch of an angel, as if her skin had never been roughened by anything she’d done in her life. Her grasp was nothing like the choke-hold she had been put in moments ago. It was gentle and kind, like the way a mother would hold her child’s hand right after it was born. What may have been perceived as simple contact to anyone else caused the blue-haired girl to blush uncontrollably.

Mamoru watched the two girls go, chuckling to himself. “That Mizuno girl is in over her head.”

He began to gather up his stuff, but stopped when a small, timid voice came from behind him. “Um… Mamoru?” The tall boy looked behind him to see a short red-haired girl standing behind him, anxiety written all over her face. “Uh… do you think… maybe… you could be my tutor?” Mamoru recognized her. It was Usagi’s best friend, Naru. He must not have said anything for a moment, because Naru spoke up again. “N-not… not that my grades are bad or anything! I just don’t understand some of the new material and I was wondering if you could help me out with it…”

Mamoru smiled lightly. This girl was pretty cute. He did find shy girls quite attractive, and if Bun-Head wasn’t going to take up on his advances, then he might as well settle on Naru. “Of course. I’m always happy to help my classmates improve their grades.”

Naru’s eyes sparkled. “Really? You’re so nice!” Realizing she had seemed a little too eager, Naru backed down. “I mean… thank you so much.”

“Just hit me up whenever you wanna meet. My schedule’s always open,” Mamoru said, winking at Naru before turning around to walk away. However, he was stopped when he felt Naru grab his sleeve.

“Um… do you think maybe we could meet up tonight? At this new tea shop that just opened downtown? I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to… I just thought I’d ask,” Naru said, her voice fading more and more as she talked.

Mamoru was a little confused. Why would she want a tutor session at a tea shop? He felt like asking her, but if he did, the girl might cave in from anxiety. “Sure, wherever you want. I’ve actually wanted to try that place out myself.”

“Oh… okay,” Naru squeaked, smiling a little. “Then it’s a date!”

“What?” Mamoru said, not knowing if he heard her correctly.

Naru slapped a hand over her mouth, her face turning as red as an apple. “N-nothing! Uh… see you tonight!” Naru slung her bag over her shoulder and ran out of the room, but then peeked her head back in one last time. “Don’t forget, the shop is called Tai Chi Tea!” she said before disappearing around the corner.

Mamoru laughed. He had a feeling this was going to be more than just a tutoring session.

* * *

As Zoisite was finishing putting on his uniform, Nephrite burst through the door, his face riddled with anger. “Damn tea shop!” he shouted.

Zoisite quickly ran up to his love and took hold of his arm. “What is it, Nephrite? What’s gotten you so angry?”

Nephrite calmed down a little at Zoisite’s touch, but frustration could still be heard in his voice. “I had a perfectly good cup of tea when some imbecilic little girl decided to spill it all over me! Then, when I demanded a refill, they said I had to pay for it again!”

Zoisite brought a hand to his mouth. “Oh, Nephrite! How could they treat you so poorly?” the blonde man said sadly. “Those people are such demons! I should kill them for this…”

“Don’t worry,” Nephrite said suddenly. “I already plan to. Tonight, I’m going to go back there and destroy that tea shop, along with anyone inside it!”

Zoisite frowned and tightened his grip on his lover’s arm. “Oh no you’re not!” Nephrite looked down at him, confused. Zoisite grinned back up at him and batted his eyelashes. “Not until you take me there and let me taste that tea!” Nephrite couldn’t help but smile even with how bad a mood he was in. “I want this to be a special night,” Zoisite went on. “We’ll dress up in our finest attire, share some of that delicious tea, and when we’re finished, we’ll blow up the shop together!”

Nephrite laughed. “Alright, sounds like a plan.”

Zoisite playfully poked the taller man’s cheek. “And don’t you worry about paying. You already wasted money on that stupid shop, so I’ll cover it this time.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nephrite said, shaking his head. “I would never let you pay for anything, my dear.”

Zoisite yanked on Nephrite’s arm. “Is that so? I guess I’ll have to fight you for it then!”

“Bring it on!” Nephrite said. The tall brunette gripped Zoisite’s arm and shoulder-tossed him onto their bed. He quickly leapt onto his lover and pinned his arms down. The two laughed the whole time, clearly enjoying their mock scuffle. When the two finally caught their breath, Nephrite looked down longingly into his lover’s eyes.

“You know just how to cheer me up,” Nephrite whispered soothingly.

“I know everything about you, love,” Zoisite cooed back. Nephrite then lowered himself down and locked lips with Zoisite, generating a pleased moan from the blonde man. The two diabolical lovers embraced, excited for what was to come that night. 

* * *

Ami opened the door to her apartment and stepped inside. It had been an exhausting day of studying, as was every day with her, but it was capped off by a tutoring session with Usagi. On one hand, the girl seemed to be completely hopeless when it came to studying, but that wouldn’t stop Ami from trying to help her. On the other hand, she had gotten to spend quality time with the first friend she had had in a long time, and Ami couldn't be happier because of that. Maybe, just maybe, someday she could be more than friends with the golden-haired girl.

“Ami? Is that you?” a voice called out from within the apartment.

“Yeah, it’s me mom. I’m home!” Ami responded.

A tall woman with dark, navy blue hair stepped into the foyer. She looked to be in her early forties; still young but starting to show a bit of age. The woman gave Ami a warm smile, holding out her arms to the girl. “Won’t you give your mother a hug, dear?”

Ami smiled back and walked into her mother’s arms, hugging her back. The two held each other for a moment before backing up.

“Dinner is almost ready,” Mrs. Mizuno said. “I didn't know when you’d be home, so I just went ahead and started some noodles. Is that alright?”

Ami sighed. “I’m not that picky mom. I’ll eat whatever you put on the table.”

Mrs. Mizuno smiled at her daughter. “I’ve raised you so well.”

The two walked into the apartment, with Mrs. Mizuno heading back into the kitchen and Ami slipping off her shoes and setting her backpack down on the dining room table.

“So, where were you after school?” Ami’s mother questioned.

“Oh, I was just tutoring a new friend of mine,” the blue-haired girl responded casually.

Mrs. Mizuno’s eyes widened. “Tutoring? Friend? My goodness, you’re moving fast for someone who just transferred.” Ami smiled at the compliment. “So, does your new friend have a name?”

“Yeah, her name’s Usagi Tsukino,” Ami explained. “She’s in the same homeroom and some of the same classes as me. She’s lucky we have English together, otherwise she might be failing.” Her mother laughed at this comment, causing Ami’s smile to widen. “She’s a really nice girl, mom. She’s not the brightest bulb, but she’s energetic and carefree and just fun to be around.” Unable to contain herself, Ami let something she really didn’t want to slip. “Actually, I think I might have a crush on her…”

Mrs. Mizuno sighed heavily. She appeared to be frustrated by this comment, but spoke calmly to her daughter. “Honey, we’ve discussed this before. You need to get over this little phase of yours.”

Ami’s heart sank at these words. She had heard them countless times before, but they never felt any less painful. “It’s…” she stuttered at first. “It’s not a phase mom! Why can’t you just accept that this is the way I am?”

“I will not accept such nonsense!” Mrs. Mizuno snapped. “Someday you are going to become a successful doctor and marry a wealthy man. I won’t let you run off with some ditz you met in school and ruin your future!”

Ami suppressed the urge to cry. She refused to look that helpless when discussing something she believed in so much. “But she’s really nice! She’s may not be as smart as I am, but she’s funny and cheerful and she makes me happy! When was the last time you saw me happy?”

Ami’s mother hesitated for a moment. “Would you rather be happy or successful?”

Ami thought she could answer this question in a second, but the more she thought about it, the less sure she became. Would she really be willing to trade success for happiness? Even though it was her mother’s vision for her future, she couldn't deny she wanted it to some extent. But with a man? No, she couldn't have that. As the blue-haired girl pulled at her brain for a response, her mother let out another sigh.

“Think about it while you do your homework,” she said, calming down but clearly still frustrated. “Now go to your room.”

“Yes, mom,” Ami said, defeated. The girl slowly walked out of the kitchen, grabbing her backpack on the way, and headed down the narrow hall of the apartment towards her room.

She quietly opened and closed the door, setting down her bag and sitting on the edge of her bed. Now that she was alone, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Ami covered her face with her hands and let go of the torrent of tears that had built up in her eyes. It wasn't fair. Why did her mother have to be this way? She loved her mother more than anything, and she knew she only wanted what was best for her. All Ami wanted was to make her happy, and any other time they talked, whether it was about Ami’s grades, her mother’s work, or just things they had opinions on, the two got along like any normal mother and daughter. So why did this, the most important part of Ami’s life, have to be the one thing her mother didn't accept? The blue-haired girl continued to sob heavily over and over again, feeling the rivers of tears stream down her cheeks and letting her self-doubting thoughts race through her mind. She hoped her mother wouldn't hear her, as she didn't think she could handle another conversation with her.

Just then, Ami’s phone rang loudly. It was Usagi! Quickly, Ami answered the call. “Hello?”

“Hey Ami!” Usagi said cheerily. Ami never knew that just the sound of someone’s voice could soothe her. “I know we just left each other like an hour ago, but could you meet up with me and Luna at the park?”

“What for?” Ami asked.

“We wanna get ice cream together!” Usagi squealed. Immediately following this, Ami could hear a thud as well as rustling on the other end of the line. “Luna! Give that back!” Usagi’s voice was very distant now. “How can you even hold that? You don’t have thumbs!”

“Sorry about that, Ami,” Luna’s voice came on suddenly. “But could you be at the park in a few minutes? Usagi and I need to discuss some important things with you.”

Ami chuckled a little at the obvious squabble going on over the line. “Certainly. I’ll… be over as soon as I can.”

“Excellent! See you soon,” the black cat said.

Ami could hear Usagi say “Wait Luna! I want to--” before the call was ended. Ami smiled at the thought of seeing Usagi again, but at the same time she wasn’t sure if her mother would let her go out at this hour. Oh well, she had to try. Luna did say this was important. Ami gathered her bearings and headed out of her room towards the front door. She saw her mother preparing dinner in the kitchen, not even glancing at her daughter as she passed by.

“Um, mom,” she said weakly. “I’m gonna go for a walk. I just… need to think about some things.”

Mrs. Mizuno didn’t respond for a moment. “Alright, just be back soon. Dinner’s almost ready,” she said, still not looking at Ami.

Ami nodded and slipped on a blue hoodie jacket, knowing it might get chilly after dusk. She glanced sadly back at her mother one last time before heading out the door.

* * *

Naru sat at a table opposite to Mamoru. The handsome young man calmly sipped a cup of jasmine tea he had ordered. Naru had gotten green tea, but hadn’t even picked up the cup yet. Once Mamoru had taken another sip, he looked over at Naru. “Aren’t you going to drink your tea?” he asked.

Naru’s eyes popped open. “Uh… y-yeah, or course! That's why we’re here!” The girl took a massive gulp of green tea, but immediately grabbed her throat and coughed. “Hot! So hot!” she gasped.

Mamoru snickered a little, then decided to ask Naru what had been on his mind the whole time. “Naru, is this really a tutoring session?”

Naru was about to take another drink, but froze. “Why… why do you ask?”

“Well, you haven't even told me what you want to study yet. Plus I don't think I saw you bring in a backpack,” he said suspiciously, playfully trying to raise the girl’s tension.

Naru gripped her tea cup tightly, her eyes now glued to the table. “I must have… forgotten it at home. I’m sorry. I’ll remember it next time.” The redhead was caught off guard when Mamoru suddenly placed his hand on hers, causing her cheeks to flare up.

“Be honest with me. Why did you really ask me to come here with you?” Mamoru asked, insistently.

Naru swallowed hard. If she told his the truth, he might reject her for lying to him. No, he wouldn’t do that. He didn’t seem like that kind of guy. “I… I don’t actually need any tutoring. My grades are just fine. I actually wanted to meet you here… as a date.” She practically choked on that last word. She braced for Mamoru’s response, but was surprised when she felt him squeeze her hand.

“You should’ve just said that in the first place. Why wouldn’t I go out with a pretty girl like yourself?” the dark-haired boy said honestly.

Naru’s cheeks flushed again as she broke out into a big stupid smile. It felt like the world was just lifted off her shoulders. “You mean that?”

Mamoru smiled back. “Absolutely. I had to admit, it did feel weird being asked out by a girl, but then I thought it was a nice change of pace. Even if it was indirect, it was pretty brave of you.”

Naru giggled. “Thank you. I’ve never been called that before…” The redhead swirled her tea and took another sip, the warm drink finally putting her nerves at rest. “So, since this is a date, mind if I ask what you do for fun?”

Mamoru chuckled. “Well, I don’t do much for fun, but I am studying fashion and clothing design as a… hobby of sorts.”

Naru’s eyes went wide with joy. “Fashion design?! Oh my gosh, that's like my favorite thing ever!” she said giddily. “I’m actually hoping to become a model some day.”

“Is that so?” Mamoru asked. “Maybe the two of us could be partners some day. I’ve already finished assembling a tuxedo I designed, but I do have a few sketches for dresses as well. I don't know why, but I’ve had princesses on my mind a lot recently.”

Naru had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from cracking up. “Princesses?!” she giggled.

Mamoru sighed. “Geez, I sound like a little girl…” he managed to get out before the two burst out laughing.

Across the tea shop, another couple watched the two kids laughing and enjoying each other’s company. A man with long blonde hair done up in a ponytail sipped peacefully at his tea, while his brown-haired lover watched Mamoru and Naru intently.

“My, my, this tea is simply magnificent!” Zoisite chirped. “I’m so glad we came here, love!”

“Yes, of course, my dear,” Nephrite answered briefly, his eyes fixed on Naru. “I could swear I’ve seen her somewhere before…” he said to himself.

Zoisite saw where his lover was looking and immediately narrowed his eyes. “You’re cruel, Nephrite!” he cried. “How could you lay your eyes on another person when I’m right here?” The blonde man lowered his head sadly. “Is her beauty so great that it exceeds my own?”

Nephrite quickly turned to Zoisite and took his hand, producing a black rose in the other. “Forgive me, Zoisite. I would never suggest anything of the sort.” Zoisite smiled happily and took the rose, inhaling its lustrous scent. “You are the only one I will ever have eyes for. Not even a rose such a this could compare to your beauty.”

Zoisite blushed and turned away. “You’re too much, love…” The blonde man picked up his tea and finished off the last of the exotic drink. He then placed the cup on the table and grinned maliciously at Nephrite. “I believe it is about time to lay waste to this place, wouldn’t you say?”

Nephrite smiled. “Indeed.” He looked around the shop, noticing that beside him and Zoisite, the two kids across from them were the only people in the shop. “It’s a pity. I was hoping to claim more lives here, but I suppose these two and the staff will suffice.”

Nephrite raised his hand to the air, his palm facing upward. A stemless black rose formed in the air above his palm and began glowing purple.

“BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!!!”

* * *

“So, let me get this straight,” Ami said. She sat next to Usagi on a park bench. The blonde girl was lapping at an ice cream cone, not paying attention to the current conversation. Luna sat on the sidewalk in front of them, and had spent the past few minutes explaining their situation to Ami. “Usagi and I are the reincarnations of a pair of royal soldiers who lived in a kingdom on the moon several eons ago?”

“That’s the long and short of it,” Luna said.

Ami could barely comprehend what she had just heard, let alone what she just recapped. “There… there has to be some kind of scientific explanation for all of this…” she insisted.

Luna shook her head. “There is no science behind any of this, Ami. This is destiny. The two of you along with several others have been reborn after all this time to defeat the Dark Kingdom once again. However, we must first locate the remaining soldiers as well as the Princess before we can stand any chance against the Dark Kingdom and Queen Metalia.”

Ami thought for a moment. “No, that can’t be right,” she said sternly. “There’s no such thing as destiny or anything like that. I can accept that this ‘Moon Kingdom’ or whatever existed, but there has to be a logical explanation for why it’s all happening again.”

Usagi stopped halfway between taking a bite of ice cream and looked at Ami with a frowned. “C’mun, Ami! You thewiouthly thill don’t belief in mugic?” she said, talking with her mouth full. “Then exthplain how we twanthform!”

“Well, obviously this Moon Kingdom was very advanced in terms of technology,” the blue-haired girl explained. “My pen as well as your brooch must release some type of nanobots or chemical or something that causes our clothes to change shape and give us those strange powers. The calls we use to initiate the transformations are likely a voice-activation code.”

A large bead of sweat formed on the side of Luna’s head. “Ami, I think you’re putting a little too much thought into this…”

Ami was about to respond, but Usagi suddenly held her ice cream cone up to her face. “C’mon, Miss Smarty Pants! Have some ice cream to cool that brain of yours!”Ami was taken aback by this, but she couldn’t resist the cheerful smile that Usagi faced her with. She leaned forward and took a tiny lick of the blonde’s ice cream. “Hey! Don’t hog it all to yourself!” Usagi cried, yanking the cone away and shoving the ice cream back into her mouth.

Ami giggled, but then blushed as a thought entered her mind. She reached up and gently touched her lips. Did she just… share an indirect kiss with Usagi?

Suddenly, an explosion erupted from not too far away in the city. Luna’s hair stood up and she hissed, Ami turned around to see where it came from, and Usagi sprang nearly ten feet into the air, screaming at the top of her lungs, then crashed back down to the ground landing on her rear. “Owowow…” she whined.

“What in the world was that?!” Ami cried.

Luna closed her eyes and focused on the area where the explosion came from. Her eyes quickly went wide. “That energy… it’s the Dark Kingdom!” The black cat turned to Ami and Usagi. “Hurry, girls! Transform!”

Ami took out her transformation pen and held it up to the sky.

“MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

Usagi slowly stood up and rubbed her behind. “Aww, but I haven’t finished my ice cream yet,” she said.

Luna suddenly leapt at Usagi and smacked the ice cream out of her hand, sending it splattering all over the sidewalk. “People are in danger, Usagi!”

Usagi’s eyes watered. “Lunaaaa! Not again!” She was about to cry, but when she saw how serious Luna was, she wiped her eyes and stood up straight. “Right, sorry!”

“MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

* * *

Tai Chi Tea was in ruins. Rubble covered the streets, bonbori lamps were burnt to a crisp, and any part of the building that remained standing was engulfed in fire. Two figures emerged from the flames, now dressed in royal uniforms. The taller, brown-haired man wore dark red armor with a cape and shoulder pads, while the shorter, blonde man wore a regal golden outfit similar that resembled a pope’s attire.

“That was satisfying,” Nephrite said, grinning madly to himself.

“I wish you would have saved some for me,” Zoisite whined, looking up sadly at his lover.

Nephrite smiled, taking Zoisite's hand in his own. “Apologies, my dear. I guess my pent up anger made me reckless. Next time you can destroy whatever you want and I won’t interfere.”

Zoisite smiled happily at Nephrite, hugging his arm like a little child. Nephrite sighed and gently stroked the man’s blonde hair.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!!!”

The two men looked up, angry that someone had dared to interrupt their moment. A ways down the street, they saw two young girls dressed in sailor uniforms glaring at them confidently.

“The Sailor Soldiers!” Nephrite snarled, before smiling to himself. “This should be fun…”

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I’LL PUNISH YOU!”

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!”

While the girls were busy striking their poses, Luna ran up behind the two and saw who they were facing. “No… it can’t be…”

Sailor Moon stuck her pointer finger out at the two men. “Alright, just who are you freaks?”

Nephrite pounded his fist on his breastplate. “I am Nephrite, Dark Knight of Black Roses and humble servant to Queen Metalia!”

Zoisite stepped forward and flipped his hair flamboyantly. “And I am Zoisite, Dark Knight of Brimstone and flower of the Dark Kingdom!”

Luna was frozen with fear. “Nephrite and Zoisite… this is not good!”

“Mercury, look!” Sailor Moon pointed to a nearby burning building, which Mercury recognized as the new Tai Chi Tea shop. Such a shame that a new establishment had to go to waste. “There might be people in there!”

Luna ran up to the two Sailor Soldiers. “Listen to me, girls! These two are knights of the Dark Kingdom. They’re far too dangerous to fight alone.” She turned to the burning tea shop. “But you’re right, there could be people in there. Sailor Mercury, you need to put out that fire and rescue any people inside. Sailor Moon, distract Nephrite and Zoisite for as long as you can, but don’t engage them until Mercury gets back!”

Sailor Mercury nodded. “Right, Luna!” She ran off towards the burning building. “Be careful, Sailor Moon!”

Nephrite and Zoisite laughed. “You’re going to need to be more than careful, foolish girl!” the brunette said. “Prepare to die!”

Sailor Moon was nervous. Combining Luna’s warning with how confident the two men seemed, she was hesitant to even make a move. However, she knew she had to distract them while Mercury rescued everyone from the tea shop. She just had to run away for now, and she was pretty good at that! Hoping she wouldn't regret this, Sailor Moon ran towards Zoisite and Nephrite.

* * *

Mercury ran as fast as her legs could carry her to Tai Chi Tea. Once she was about ten feet from the blaze, she came to a screeching halt, feeling a wave of searing heat that caused pain even from a distance. She was more than smart enough to know that getting too close could set her on fire as well.

“MERCURY AQUA MIST!!!”

Spirals of water formed in the girl’s hands, spraying a thick, freezing cold mist at the massive wall of flames. In just a few seconds, the fire died down so that it was safe enough for Mercury to enter. She looked around the destroyed interior of the tea shop, noticing a few small flames still scattered about, but nothing that could cause serious damage or injury. Her eyes then fell upon a pair of people who appeared to be relatively young. Their clothes were charred and their hair was covered in ashes, but the soldier of wisdom quickly recognized their faces.

“Mamoru! Naru!” she cried, hurrying over to the two unconscious kids. She made sure to check their bodies before touching them, as not to disturb any possible injuries they may have sustained. They two appeared to have suffered several deep cuts and bruises, but nothing life threatening. Using the strength bestowed upon her by her transformation, she tucked the two young people under each of her arms and dragged them out of the building. Once outside, she saw Sailor Moon dodging numerous attacks thrown at her by Zoisite and Nephrite. “I've got to get over there quick!” Mercury said urgently. She dashed back into the tea shop to retrieve the employees, moving as fast as possible so she could join her blonde comrade in battle.

* * *

Sailor Moon darted left and right, her muscles already aching from how many attacks she had to dodge. Her stomach had begun to cramp up as well. She was starting to regret eating that ice cream cone earlier.

“BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!!!”

Nephrite swung his arm through the air, sending dozens of glowing black rose petals flying at Sailor Moon. The petals exploded upon making contact with anything, making it a very hard attack to dodge. Sailor Moon was thrown off her feet numerous times, but she managed to avoid any serious injury.

“BRIMSTONE HAMMER!”

Zoisite raised his arm to the sky, causing a giant golden crystal of brimstone to form above him. He hurled the rock at Sailor Moon with all his might, but the girl was still able to dodge it. The crystal still managed to leave a massive indent in the concrete below.

“Damn it!” Nephrite roared. “She is a nimble one, but she’ll run out of strength eventually!”

“Perhaps we won’t have to wait that long, love,” Zoisite said, giggling devilishly. He focused on Sailor Moon, who was still zigzagging all over the street. However, the blonde man was able to see where the girl was going to step next.

“EARTHEN TRAP!!!”

Zoisite pointed two fingers at the ground in front of Sailor Moon. As soon as the blonde heroine took another step, the concrete road cracked open, and Sailor Moon stepped right into the crack. Before she could pull her foot out, the hole closed around her ankle, effectively trapping the girl.

“Crap!” Sailor Moon cried. She pulled at her leg with all her might, but it felt like she had just stepped in a bear trap. She was probably more likely to rip off her own foot than free it from Zoisite’s attack.

Nephrite watched the soldier of love struggle with a smile on his face. “Excellent!” He produced a black rose in his hand, aiming it’s spear-like tip at Sailor Moon’s heart. The blonde girl saw what Nephrite was doing and, with some quick thinking, took off her tiara.

“MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!!!”

She threw the tiara with all her might, hoping to stop Nephrite before he could attack her. However, the tall man simply swung the rose like a sword and knocked the tiara away, as if he were swatting a fly. “How naive…” Nephrite drew his arm back and hurled the rose directly towards the girl. Sailor Moon saw the oncoming attack and was paralyzed with fear. Where was Tuxedo Mask? Shouldn't he be here to save her by now?

Suddenly, Sailor Mercury leapt in front of Sailor Moon, turning sideways so that the rose embedded itself in her shoulder. With the thorny stem of the rose now buried halfway into her arm, Sailor Mercury let out a cry of pain. So this is what it felt like to be stabbed…

“Mercury!” Sailor Moon screamed. She pulled harder at her foot, not really caring at this point if she ripped it off or not.

“Interfering rascal!” Nephrite shouted. “Try and block this!”

“BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!”

Nephrite let loose another flurry of rose petals, ready to detonate when they touched Mercury’s body. However, despite the stinging pain in her arm, Mercury was able to counterattack.

“MERCURY AQUA MIST!!!”

She summoned another frigid cloud of mist that collided with the rose petals. However, instead exploding, the petals simply lost their purple aura and drifted harmlessly to the ground.

Now protected by Mercury’s attack, Sailor Moon was able to give her leg several more firm tugs before she finally pulled her limb free of the trap. She immediately ran over to her blue-haired friend. “Ami! Are you alright?” She reached up to pull out the rose, but Mercury grabbed her arm.

“No! Leave it in, it… it’ll plug the bleeding,” Mercury said, her voice shaking with pain.

“Ami, you didn’t have to go and do that,” Sailor Moon whispered.

Mercury grabbed her hand. “That’s not important right now! Usagi, Mamoru and your friend Naru were in that tea shop! We need to stop these two before they hurt anyone else.”

Sailor Moon’s eyes went wide. Those monsters hurt Naru?! Now they were gonna get it for sure! “How do we do that though?” she asked. “I already tried using my tiara, but Nephrite just deflected it!”

Sailor Mercury thought for a moment. Clearly they needed to get the tiara past their opponents’ attacks, but how? As her mist attack began to clear, she could see that the ground was sparkling. It was covered in a thin layer of ice! Suddenly, an idea popped into the soldier of widom’s head.

“Throw your tiara again!” she said insistently.

“What?” Sailor Moon asked, clearly confused. “They’ll just knock it away again!”

“Trust me, I have a plan!” Mercury said, tightening her grip on her comrade’s hand. Sailor Moon seemed hesitant, but eventually she nodded and stood up, facing Nephrite and Zoisite as the mist finally dissipated.

“MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!!!”

She threw the shiny golden disk at the Dark Knights once again, aiming for Nephrite’s torso.

“You never learn, do you?” Nephrite said arrogantly. He pulled out another rose and threw it at the tiara, planning to knock it away again.

“MERCURY AQUA MIST!!!”

Sailor Mercury sprayed another freezing cold mist, this time aiming for Sailor Moon’s tiara. Her plan worked, and the mist surrounded the tiara, covering it in a layer of ice. As Nephrite's rose collided with the tiara, the ice coating cause it to simply slide off rather than knock it away. The Knight of Black Roses stared in amazement at what he witnessed, but that turned out to be a mistake. While he was busy gawking at the genius of the Sailor Soldiers’ coordinated attack, Sailor Moon’s tiara sliced into Nephrite’s ribs, inflicting a deep gash into his side. The brunette man grunted and gritted his teeth in pain. He clutched his side and dropped to his knees, causing Zoisite to gasp and rush to his side.

“Nephrite!!!” the blonde man cried out. He kneeled beside his lover, who was now bleeding heavy from the slash wound and coughing up a small amount of blood. Zoisite slung Nephrite’s arm around his shoulder and helped him to his feet.

“You’ll pay for this, Sailor Soldiers…” Nephrite barely managed to say. With that, the two men turned around and Zoisite appeared to open an invisible door that led into nothing but blackness. The two stepped through the door and closed it behind them, and just like that, they were gone.

“They got away…” Sailor Mercury said before collapsing to her knees and de-transforming. She reached up and touched the area where the black rose was still stuck in her shoulder. As expected, it stung worse than a venomous snake bite.

“Ami!” Sailor Moon shouted before de-transforming and hurrying over to her injured friend. “We need to get you to a doctor!”

“No! I’m… I’m fine,” Ami said, holding up a hand. “My mom’s a doctor. She can treat it when I get home. I’ll just… tell her I got mugged and they stabbed me with a knife.”

Usagi placed her hands on the blue-haired girl’s shoulders. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Ami smiled warmly up at her blonde friend before turning her head towards the ruined tea shop. “Besides, those people need more help than I do.”

Suddenly, Usagi remembered who Ami said was in the fire. “Naru!” She jumped to her feet and ran over to her unconscious red-haired friend. She touched the girl’s neck with two fingers, sighing with relief when she felt a pulse. Usagi then looked over and saw Mamoru lying unconscious as well. The sight of him did put a scowl on her face, but nonetheless she scooted over and felt his neck for a pulse. As soon as she felt a couple beats, she quickly pulled away from the dark-haired boy, as if disgusted to be anywhere near him.

Off in the distance, sirens could be heard making their way to the scene. Luna ran to the two girls. “I think it’s time to make our exit.”

“But… what about Naru and Mamoru?” Usagi asked nervously.

“They’ll be fine, the authorities will take care of them,” Luna insisted. “We need to get Ami home so she can be treated.”

Ami walked up to her friend. “She’s right, Usagi. Let’s go.”

Usagi took one last look at Naru and Mamoru, hoping the two would be okay. She then took a hold of Ami’s hand and ran off with her and Luna into the night.

* * *

Nephrite and Zoisite stood before Queen Metalia, her essence swirling around like a hurricane in her glass sphere. Clearly, the great ruler was not happy.

“I am not sure I understand,” she said in mock confusion. “You two believed you had the right to go out and cause havoc in the human world, resulting in potential casualties that could reduce the amount of human energy available to us?”

Zoisite looked up nervously at his lover, unable to say a word. Nephrite simply glanced down at him, no answer coming out of his mouth either.

Metalia let out an irritated hiss. “Jadeite! Come in here at once. I need an example…”

Jadeite entered the Queen’s chamber in no time, taking a knee before his great ruler. “Yes, my Queen? And example for wha--” He was cut off by a thin beam of dark energy being shot though his shoulder, causing him to scream in pain and drop to the floor, clutching his arm in agony.

“You see, you two?” Queen Metalia said referring to Nephrite and Zoisite. “That is what will happen if you step out of line again.”

Jadeite looked up with pained eyes. “Why… my Queen?” he said through clenched teeth.

“Because unlike you I have use for these two!” Metalia snapped. “And until you prove yourself useful, I will continue to use you in such a fashion as this. Is that clear?”

Zoisite couldn’t help but giggle at Jadeite’s pain, but he shut up when he felt Queen Metalia’s essence focus on him. “Do not test my patience, Zoisite!” she roared. “One more mistake, and you will be in the same position as him!” Zoisite nodded anxiously, causing Nephrite to drape a comforting arm around his lover. “Now return to your barracks for the night. Treat Nephrite’s wound and make sure he is healed by morning!”

The Knights of Black Roses and Brimstone placed a hand over their chests. “Yes, my Queen!” Jadeite stood up as well, still clutching his shoulder. “Yes… my Queen!” All three knights then exited Metalia’s chamber, marble doors slamming closed behind them.

* * *

Usagi finished tying off her handkerchief around Ami’s shoulder. The two had gone through a rather uncomfortable process which involved pulling the spear-like rose out of Ami’s arm and having to quickly cover the wound with Usagi’s handkerchief. Ami had to use her own Transformation Pen to bite down on during the removal of the rose so she wouldn't end up screaming and waking up half the public.

“There, all done!” Usagi chirped. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

Ami smiled weakly at her friend. “I think I’ll feel a lot better when I get this properly treated.”

Usagi made a moe face at this comment. “I could at least get a thank you…”

Luna walked up to the two girls and sat down, smiling at them. “You two showed excellent teamwork out there today. I’m very proud of you both.” Usagi and Ami smiled brightly at Luna’s compliment. The black cat then turned and looked suspiciously at Usagi. “By the way, Usagi, you seemed to be pretty concerned back there about that boy you really don’t like,” she said sarcastically.

Usagi’s forehead popped a vein and she glared down at the cat. “Shut your face, Luna! Of course I was concerned about him! He’s the most annoying person I’ve ever met, but that doesn’t mean I want to see him get hurt!” Luna laughed and held up a paw defensively. Usagi, wanting to quickly change the subject, turned to Ami. “Speaking of people acting unusual, what was with that heroic act you pulled out there today, Ami?”

Ami was taken aback by this comment. “W-what? What does that mean?”

“I don’t know, it just seemed pretty gung-ho for a shy girl like you,” Usagi said.

True to her shy self, Ami’s cheeks flushed and she looked down to the ground. “I… I’ve just been a little on edge because I’m having a disagreement with my mom right now,” she said. “In fact, it’s something we’ve been disagreeing on for awhile.”

“Care to share?” Usagi squeaked, leaning towards Ami. Realizing Ami might be uncomfortable, Luna swiped her claws across Usagi’s leg, causing the blonde girl to yelp and back up. It looked like the two were about to go at it, but Ami raised her hand and stopped them.

“No… it’s fine Luna. I actually think this is something I need to talk about,” Ami said, clearly uneager to discuss whatever was on her mind. Usagi pulled her knees up to her chest and focused on Ami, as if she were a child about to be told a bedtime story. Ami laughed a little at this, then put on her serious face and began. “There’s a person that I have a crush on. They’re kind, considerate, and they make me feel happy, which is something that doesn’t happen a lot for me. But… my mom doesn’t want me to see them.”

Usagi suddenly stood up and clenched her fist. “So it’s a Romeo and Juliet situation, huh?” she said, unintentionally interrupting Ami. “Don’t listen to what your mom says! If you like this guy, you deserve to tell him how you feel!”

“I wasn't finished,” Ami said, chastising a little. Usagi quickly shut her mouth and sat back down on the bench, curling up in a ball again. “This person I like… she's a girl, not a guy.” Usagi’s eyes widened. “I want more than anything to tell her how I feel and be with her, but if I do, my mom will hate me. I love my mom more than anything, so the last thing I want is for us to be at odds, but I also love this girl.” A tear streaked down the side of her face, but Ami didn't seem notice it. “I just… I wish my mom would love all of me…”

Ami began to sob a little, but before she could cry any more, Usagi took her hand and squeezed it. Ami looked up at her blonde friend, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I still don’t see a problem with that,” Usagi said. “So what if it's a boy or a girl? If you like her, you should tell her! Your mom will just have to live with it!”

“It's not that simple,” Ami went on. “My mom has successful future all planned out for me, but it involves marrying a man. I want that future for myself too, but I won’t be happy if I have to marry a man.” The blue-haired girl squeezed Usagi’s hand tighter. “And now, she wants me to choose between happiness and success.” She felt herself on the verge of breaking down. “What the hell kind of a choice is that?!”

“Why can’t you be both?”

Ami wasn't expecting that answer, but as soon as she heard it, it made more sense than anything she had thought of up until this point.

Usagi stood up again. “Ami, I think you'll find that when it comes to love, I'm an expert!” Luna rolled her eyes. “And as an expert, I say that you should tell this girl your feelings! Your mom may not like it at first, but you just have to show her that you can be with a girl and still live out the future she has in mind for you! It may not happen right away, but if your mom really loves you, which I know she does, she will accept you sooner or later.”

Ami was crying again, but instead of painful tears, she was shedding joyful ones. In that moment, she felt compelled to stand up and kiss the blonde beauty, but she knew that would be a bad decision. She had only known this girl for a few days, and making such an advance on her now could risk putting a wedge between them. Instead, she got to her feet and wrapped her arms around the bun-headed girl in a warm hug. “Thank you, Usagi.” Ami smiled when she felt her friend return the hug. Yes, she would tell that girl her feelings, just not today.

“Ahem,” a voice came from below the two girls. “Usagi, it's getting late. We should go home.” Luna turned to Ami. “Your mom is probably getting worried.”

Ami let go of Usagi and looked down at Luna. “Hopefully she’ll buy my little mugging story.”

“I mean, technically you did get attacked,” Usagi interjected, laughing a little at her own remark.

Ami laughed a little herself, then turned and began walking down the street. “See you tomorrow, Usagi!” she called back, waving at her blonde friend.

Usagi waved both hands wildly through the air. “Bye Ami! I hope it goes well with that girl you like!”

With that, the two girls went their separate ways and walked off into the night, one of them filled with new found confidence in her feelings, and the other starting to feel the effects of stuffing herself with a three-scoop ice cream cone.

* * *

BAM! BAM! BAM!

A pair of fists repeatedly slammed into a large leather punching bag. A girl with long, raven-colored hair was getting in a cool-down workout after a long day of training. She threw punch after punch, until suddenly she felt something snap at the back of her mind. Her next punch ended up knocking the punching bag off its suspension chains and to the ground. The girl panted heavily, grasping her now aching head with one hand.

“Something wicked is coming for me… I can feel it…”

 

_~A Suivre~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all okay with Ami being a lesbian. This is going to a conflict Ami will have for a good majority of the story, so nothing is solved for now. I also decided to make Nephrite and Zoisite the main villains of this chapter, as I felt we haven't seen enough of them.   
> Feel free to leave a review!


	5. Mars, Soldier of Passion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 5! This is Rei's introduction. Unlike Ami, I decided to take a bit more liberty with her debut and change it up a little to better fit my interpretation of her character. Fans of the anime/manga will probably notice a few key similarities to her original debut, however. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Mars, Soldier of Passion

“Queen Metalia, I have new plan for gathering human energy,” Kunzite said very straightforwardly. He had returned to his great ruler’s chamber once again with a new plan in mind. The man had spent the previous day recuperating from Metalia’s act of torture, but now that his strength was back to normal, he was ready to get back on track.

“And what is it this time, Kunzite? A monster that disintegrates itself?” Queen Metalia sneered, as if mocking her knight.

“N-No, my Queen, of course not!” Kunzite paused for a moment, expecting his Queen to continue, but she remained silent. “Well… after doing some research, I’ve learned that many humans practice a form of physical training known as martial arts. Apparently, they are various types of self-defense techniques that require severe mental and physical discipline. I believe that humans that practice these martial arts may have a higher concentration of energy than normal humans.”

“Hmm… and interesting observation. Do you have a monster in mind for this operation?” Metalia asked.

Kunzite nodded. “He was actually the one who relayed this information to me in the first place. His name is Mantis, and he has been practicing martial arts himself for some time. He has developed his own unique style, which he calls ‘Bugman Karate,’ and he claims that it is mightier than any form of martial arts the humans practice.”

Queen Metalia’s essence swirled slowly, signifying she was deep in thought. “This sounds promising indeed…” She froze suddenly. “Then again, I have been let down by these monsters of yours numerous times before!” she hissed.

Kunzite bowed his head solemnly. “I understand that, great ruler. But I can assure you that this time will be different. I’ve noticed that the Sailor Soldiers, while clearly attuned to battle strategy, lack any form of combat prowess. Mantis will undoubtedly be able to subdue them with his hand-to-hand skills!”

“I will hold you to that, Kunzite!” Metalia said, raising her voice. “Remember what will happen if you fail again.”

The silver-haired man stood up and placed a hand over his chest. “Of course, your highness.” He began to back out of the room, but stopped about ten feet from the door and looked back at the glass sphere. “One more thing, my Queen… Zoisite told me that you attacked Jadeite because of a mistake he made. Is that true?”

“It is,” she answered quickly. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Kunzite hesitated. “Forgive me if I’m speaking out of term, but I do have a problem with it. Jadeite is my brother, and I don’t think--”

“Silence!” Queen Metalia roared. “I could care less if he was your brother. Jadeite is expendable due to his lack of contribution to my cause. He may be useful for any cases I deem necessary, but I would not be disheartened if he died in the process of carrying them out!” Her essence froze again, and Kunzite felt her energy focus squarely on him. “In fact, from now on, any failures you report to me will result in him receiving the punishment!”

Kunzite stepped forward. “My Queen! Please don’t!” He was cut off by a black bolt of lighting striking the ground inches from his feet.

“I will hear nothing more from you. Go to the barracks and send out Mantis immediately.” Her glass sphere lit up, preparing to lash out with another bolt. “Or do you have anything else to add?”

The man remained silent, hanging his head and staring at the black spot where the energy bolt had struck. He backed the rest of the way out of the room, closed the doors, and headed for the monsters’ barracks.

* * *

Naru sat silently in a hospital bed watching TV. The news was on and it was covering the story of Tai Chi Tea being destroyed last night. She had been watching the news all morning and this was about the third damn time she had seen this story! If only she could get up and change the channel, but her body was still aching all over from the previous night. It was like the news was making fun of her.

“NARUUUUU!!!” a squealing voice suddenly came from the door to her room. Before she could react, Naru felt someone collide with her and wrap their arms around her in a tight hug. The mess of golden hair that now covered her face told her exactly who had come to visit. While Naru was overjoyed by the presence of her best friend, she suddenly felt like a thousand red-hot needles were being jabbed into her muscles.

“Usagi… let go!” Naru said, regrettably pushing the blonde girl away from her. “My body still hurts all over, you know?”

Usagi quickly stood up and bowed. “Oh! I-I’m so sorry! I wasn't thinking!”

Naru couldn’t help but smile. Usagi was adorable when she was apologizing. “Don’t worry, I'm just being a drama queen,” she said, winking. “Mama Naru’s just happy to see her baby girl again!”

Usagi straightened up and smiled brightly. “So what happened? Was it scary?” She thought about her next question for a second. “Did you get to see Sailor Moon?”

Naru frowned sadly. “I didn’t. All I remember is somebody yelling something, and then everything went black…” She looked curiously at Usagi. “Wait, how did you know Sailor Moon was there?”

Usagi’s mind suddenly raced, thinking of an explanation for what she said. “Um… uh… it was all over the news! Didn’t you see?” The blonde girl started striking a bunch of fighting poses. “Sailor Moon and her partner Sailor Mercury showed up and beat the crap out of those monsters that attacked you! They were like BAM! And then the monsters were like AAUGH! Then everything went BOOM! I heard it was the coolest thing ever!”

The redhead laughed. “I stopped paying attention to the news after the third time they reported that story, but now I wish I could've been awake for that!” Her eyes began twinkling. “The Sailor Soldiers are so cool…”

“Yeah, we are!” Usagi said, not thinking.

“Wait, what?” Naru asked suspiciously.

“Uh… I-I mean… when are you getting released?” Usagi recovered with a not-so-subtle grin. “I was hoping we could spend the whole day at the mall tomorrow!” She began pumping her fist in the air. “Weekends, girlfriend!!!”

Naru smiled. “I should be released by the end of the day, around the same time as my new boyfriend.”

Usagi froze. “B-Boyfriend?” She suddenly pounced on her bedridden friend and took her hands in her own. “Oh my gosh, you have a boyfriend?! That’s so cute!!! What’s he like? Is he hot? When’d you meet him? Have you kissed yet? C’mon, gimme all the details!!!”

“I think you already know what he’s like,” a voice came suddenly from behind the two.

Usagi went stiff. She recognized the voice, but was praying to every deity she knew of that it wasn’t who she thought it was. As she slowly turned around to identify the voice, her worst fears were confirmed when she saw Mamoru standing the the doorway. “No… not you…”

Mamoru smiled warmly. “Nice to see ya, Bun-head.”

Usagi dropped to her knees, the world seeming to collapse around her until she was surrounded by nothing but darkness. Disgusting images of Naru holding hands and happily skipping along with Mamoru filled her head. “It can’t be… my precious Naru has been… tainted…” That last word was so quiet that Naru and Mamoru barely heard it.

While Usagi was mourning on the ground like someone had just died, Mamoru walked over to Naru’s bed and took her hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” the redhead said. “My body still aches all over, but it's nothing a few pills can’t fix. They did say I should be released at the end of the day, same as you.”

“That’s good to hear,” Mamoru said with a smile. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to the mall with me this weekend? We can check out some of the new fashion stores.” The dark-haired boy winked at Naru, causing her to blush profusely.

As soon as Mamoru finished his sentence, Usagi slowly rose to her feet, her forehead popping a vein and her teeth turning sharp as a shark. “What… did you say?!” she growled. “You dare try to ruin my weekend with Naru??? I’m already taking her to the mall!!!”

Naru looked at her friend apologetically. “Sorry, Usagi, I just really want to spend time with him. We can go see a movie or something on Sunday, I promise.”

In a matter of seconds, Usagi’s expression shifted from bloodcurdling anger, to puppy dog-eyed sadness, and then back to anger again. “I’ll never forgive you for this, Mamoru Chiba! You disgust me!” She began to back out of the room, dramatically pointing a finger at Mamoru the whole time. She held that pose until she was out of sight. Once she left the room, Naru and Mamoru could hear her blubbering like a baby as she ran down the hospital hallway.

Mamoru looked at his new girlfriend sadly. “I’m sorry, I hope I’m not ruining anything between you two.”

Naru squeezed the boy’s hand. “Don't worry about her. I’m sure she'll get used to the idea of us going out eventually. It’s not like she’s not my best friend anymore.”

“I know that. I just don’t want to be a wedge between you two,” he said. “I can tell you’ve been friends for a long time, so any time you want to spend time with her, just let me know and I’ll leave you to your devices.”

Naru gazed up at her boyfriend, eyes glistening with adoration. “You're so kind, Mamoru. Thank you.”

Before Mamoru could respond, a doctor walked in and frowned at the boy. “Hey, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in bed for the entire day until your release,” he said sternly.

Naru giggled. “Did you sneak out of your room, you little rebel?”

Mamoru shrugged. “What can I say? I really wanted to see you.” He began walking out of the room with the doctor, then turned back and waved at Naru one more time. His girlfriend, in return, blew a kiss at him, which he caught and pretended to place on his heart, generating a blush from the red-haired girl. 

* * *

Usagi stomped out of the front doors, her eyes still blazing with anger. “Who does that Mamoru think he is? Is it his goal to make my life a nightmare or something?” She stopped at the top of the hospital’s front steps, clenching her fists. “Well, now you’ve crossed the line, you jerk! You’ve made fun of my hair, you’ve insulted my smartness, but taking my Naru’s purity is unforgivable!” She began to strike her trademark Sailor Moon pose. “In the name of the moon, I’LL PUNISH YOU!!!” As she crossed her arms in the final pose, her right foot suddenly slipped off the top of the stairs and she went tumbling down to the sidewalk below. As per usual, she landed on her rear and began whining. “Owowow…”

She looked up when she heard what sounded like steam escaping a pipe, and saw a bus closing its doors and beginning to drive away. “Hey, that’s my bus!” The bun-headed girl quickly got to her feet and began sprinting after the bus. “Come back, Mister Bus! You’re my ride home!”

After chasing the bus for several blocks, Usagi finally managed to catch up to it at the next stop and jump on. Her lungs felt like they were made of iron, but at least she had a ride home now. It seems all her mornings of running late to school had paid off. Either that or being a Sailor Soldier somehow made her faster even as a human.

Usagi looked around the bus for a place to sit. Unfortunately, she had managed to catch the bus during rush hour, which meant every seat was packed. Of course, there were some people who felt the need to take up two seats by placing their bags next to them. That always rubbed Usagi the wrong way. Are your bags really more important than another human being? Or are you just so lazy that you can’t hold onto your bag during the trip? Or are you such a germaphobe that you can’t place your bag on the floor for a few minutes? Usagi swore that one day somebody just placed their bag in the seat next to them and suddenly everyone saw what they did and decided ‘hey, I should do that too!” Usagi wished she could find out who started that, go back in time, and give them a big old smack across the face and say ‘No! Don’t you dare take up that seat with your stupid bag!’ Seriously people, MOVE YOUR FREAKING BAGS SO OTHERS CAN SIT DOWN!!!

Finally, after much searching Usagi noticed an open seat and leapt into it like a tiger pouncing on its prey. Unfortunately, sitting down so fast caused her to bump into the person in the seat next to her. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry about tha--” She stopped short when she saw the person she bumped into. It was a young girl who looked to be about her age. She had deep, amethyst-colored eyes and long, raven-colored hair. “So pretty…”

The girl looked down at the girl suspiciously, but as she did, she felt something snap at the back of her mind. She clutched her head in pain. This feeling… it was exactly what she felt the night before.

“Um… are you okay?” Usagi asked.

At that moment, the bus came to a stop and began letting people off. The raven-haired girl quickly got up and walked off the bus with several other people. Usagi sat still for a moment, confused by what just happened, but as she saw the bus doors begin to close, she suddenly felt compelled to follow the girl. She leapt to her feet and dashed towards the closing doors, but she wasn’t fast enough as they closed on either side of her face, squishing her cheeks together cartoonishly. The bus driver sighed, tired of making exceptions for this ditz, and opened the doors again for her. Usagi waved happily at the driver before hopping off and looking for the girl. She looked to the left, then to the right, but to her surprise, the girl had disappeared!

“Great, and I don’t even know where I am…” Usagi looked around, noticing that she was in a very suburban looking area, with lots of small houses, large trees, and grassy parks. Then she looked in front of her, and her eyes widened. The building in front of her sat atop a hill nearly twenty feet tall. A set of stone steps led up to the building, which resembled an old Chinese pagoda, only not nearly as large. An archway that sat at the base of the stairs had a sign on it, which read ‘Hino’s Tai Chi and Meditation Classes.’ As she gazed up at the beautiful construct, she noticed someone walking up the stairs. It was the raven-haired girl! Before Usagi could call out to her, she opened one of the pagoda’s sliding doors and stepped inside, disappearing from sight once again.

“Hey, wait up!” Usagi said as she took off up the stairs, hoping to finally catch this mysterious girl.

* * *

“An evil spirit is approaching…” The young girl whispered to herself. She was crouched behind the sliding door that was the entrance to the dojo. The more she waited, the stronger the presence got. “I have to be ready to defend myself!”

The door slowly slid open, and a dark figure peeked its head inside. From her perspective, the figure looked like it had a pair of tentacles hanging from its head. Could this be a monster like the ones in the news? Or perhaps this was a demon from the bowels of Hell itself. “Hello?” the figure called out suddenly. That was all the initiative she needed. The girl leapt out from her cover and grabbed the figure with both hands, swinging it over her shoulder and slamming it into the ground.

“You will not take me, evil spirit!” the girl shouted as she raised her arm in a knife hand, preparing to strike down this being once and for all. However, with the outside sunlight now seeping in through the open sliding door, she could see that the supposed ‘evil spirit’ was nothing more than a young girl with golden hair, and she was staring up at her with an expression that looked half terrified and half in disbelief. Quickly, she released the girl backed up. “Oh my… I’m so sorry!”

The blonde girl slowly rose to her feet. “Ow… what was that for?”

“Forgive me, please! I… I thought you were an evil spirit…” the raven-haired girl said, bowing.

“An evil spirit?” Usagi said, raising an eyebrow. “Where would you get a dumb idea like that?”

The girl frowned. “Please don’t make me regret that apology…” She took a second look at the girl in front of her. “Wait, weren’t you sitting next to me on the bus?”

Usagi smiled brightly. “Yep, that’s me! My name’s Usagi Tsukino!” she said, flashing a V-sign over her eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Rei. Rei Hino,” the raven-haired girl answered. “So why did you follow me home?”

“This is your home?!” Usagi exclaimed, looking up at her surroundings. The interior of the pagoda, or as Rei put it, the dojo, was quite beautiful. It had a very traditional aesthetic to it, with sliding shoji doors everywhere and tatami flooring. The ceiling was high and decorated with beautiful paintings of people performing various martial arts, as well as animals such as dragons, tigers, cranes, and monkeys. As Usagi looked around, her eyes drifted back down to Rei, and suddenly remembered she had asked a question. “Oh, right! I followed you because I never finished apologizing for bumping into you on the bus!”

Rei looked a little disappointed. “That was your reasoning?”

Usagi smiled again. “Uh-huh! But I guess you kinda got me back when you flipped me over like that…” she said, laughing a little to herself at the end.

“Again, I must apologize for that,” Rei said. “Though must admit, it was a little difficult lifting you.”

The blonde girl’s face suddenly fell. “Hey, are you calling me fat?!”

“It was just an observation,” Rei justified. Just then, she heard one of the shoji doors slide open, revealing an short old man with dark skin and eyes that didn’t seem to be open all the way.

“Ah, we have a visitor.” The man turned to Rei. “Rei, you must remember to inform me when people arrive. It’s not too often we have company,” he said with a warm smile.

Rei bowed to the man and gestured to him. “Usagi, this is my grandfather. He runs this dojo and is my teacher in the art of Tai Chi.”

Usagi’s eyes widened. “You practice Tai Chi?! So cool!”

The old man walked up to Rei and took her hand. “And she is also my top student.” Rei blushed a little. “Even though she can be a little reckless at times…”

Usagi laughed. “You’re telling me! She practically sent me flying when I walked in here!” Her comment seemed to cause Rei to freeze.

Grandpa Hino shot a look at his granddaughter. “Rei, is this true?”

“I…” Rei stuttered. “I thought she was an evil spirit…”

“Rei Hino!” the old man snapped, startling Usagi. “How many times must I remind you that not every presence you detect is evil?”

“But Sensei!” The raven-haired girl defended herself. “You always taught me to trust my instincts above all else!”

“There is a difference between acting on instinct and acting on foolish impulses. The fact that you have still yet to hone your instincts makes me believe you are following the latter,” Grandpa Hino chastised.

Rei clenched her fist. “Well maybe if you were a better teacher, I could have honed my instincts a long time ago!”

Her grandfather went silent. He was clearly hurt by this remark, and Rei quickly regretted what she said. However, she failed to make any attempt to apologize. Usagi just watched the argument, feeling a little awkward but also upset. She hated seeing people argue, especially people she knew were family.

Grandpa Hino turned to the blonde girl. “Miss Usagi, I’m sorry you had to see this.” He then turned back to his granddaughter. “Rei, please show our guest out. It’s almost time to get ready for my evening class.”

Rei bowed solemnly. “Yes, Sensei.” She began to walk towards the entrance, motioning for Usagi to follow her. She glanced back at her grandfather one more time, only to see him with his back to her and heading in the opposite direction. Rei opened the door for Usagi and led her out. “I really wish you hadn’t brought that up,” she said sternly.

“I didn’t mean to make you two argue like that, I swear,” Usagi apologized.

Rei sighed. “It’s fine. There’s no way you could have known how he would react.”

“Why did he say all of that?” Usagi asked curiously. “I thought you were his top student.”

“I am, at least in his self-defense classes.” Rei lowered her head sadly. “But when it comes to my spiritual skills, he’s right. I still have a long way to go. But I feel like if I don’t interpret every presence as evil, it may come back to bite me one day.”

Usagi smiled, hoping to bring up the girl’s spirits. “Don’t worry, Rei! As long as you believe in yourself, you’ll be the most spiritual person in the world someday!”

Rei looked at Usagi as if she couldn’t believe anyone would say that. “You’re pretty thick-headed, aren’t you?”

“Hey!” Usagi pouted. “Stop being so mean to me!”

Rei laughed a little, finding the girl’s pout quite cute. She looked off into the distance and saw the sun going down. “You should probably go. People are going to start coming for my grandfather’s evening Tai Chi class.”

Usagi suddenly placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “Go out with me tonight!”

“Wha…?” Rei blushed.

“My friend Ami and I are hanging out tonight. I’m sure she’d love to meet you!” Usagi beamed before turning and heading down the stairs, waving back at the dark-haired girl. “We’ll come back and pick you up! See you later, Rei!”

Rei forced a laugh, scratching the back of her head as she did. “Please tell me she wasn’t serious…” As Usagi reached the bottom of the stairs, Rei noticed someone coming back up the stairs. It was a man with long brown hair and a cheerful smile. Rei recognized him from her grandfather’s class and bowed. “Welcome, Mr. Yuuichirou! You’re awfully early today.”

“I, uh… got off work early,” he said slowly.

Rei smiled at the man. “Well, come on in. Sensei is starting his class soon. Hopefully the others can make it as well.”

Mr. Yuuichirou simply nodded and continued into the dojo. As he passed Rei, she suddenly felt a tremendous pressure in her heart. She was detecting another presence, but this one was far stronger. The odd thing was that it seemed to be coming from Yuuichirou. He had never given off any vibes like this before, so why now? Rei was about to confront him, but her grandfather’s words echoed in her head: “How many times must I remind you that not every presence you detect is evil?” In the end, she decided to ignore it and followed the man into the dojo.

Unbeknownst to anyone, towards the bottom of the hill, a dead body with its throat slit lay tucked behind a large tree. It was Mr. Yuuichirou.

* * *

“And you’re absolutely sure she agreed?” Ami asked suspiciously. She had met up with Usagi after finishing cram school, eager to spend the evening hanging out with her beautiful friend and Luna. She did wish that it could have been just the two of them without the cat being there to act like their mother the whole time, but she didn't have the heart to tell her to go away. Besides, she still got to spend time with Usagi either way, and that was good enough for her. However, as soon as the two got together, Usagi brought up some other girl she had met that day named Rei Hino, and was now insisting that she had agreed to go with them.

“Of course!” Usagi chirped. “Trust me, you’ll love her, Ami! She’s pretty and kind, even though she was a little mean…” The blonde made a quick moe face before smiling again. “Plus, she can like… see evil spirits or something, like a psychic!”

Ami suppressed the urge to burst out laughing. “Ps-Psychic?” she said, covering her mouth with one hand in an attempt to hide her wide grin.

Usagi pouted. “What’s so funny?”

“Usagi, you know there’s no such thing as psychics or ESP or anything like that, right?” Ami asked, now giggling a little at the absurdity of what she was being told.

“I’m serious!” the golden-haired girl squealed. “Are you saying you still don’t believe in that stuff even after everything we’ve been through so far?!”

Ami sighed and shook her head. “Please, the whole idea of evil spirits, let alone psychics, is completely unrealistic. It’s all a bunch of simple tricks and nonsense. If anything, I think people who firmly believe they have those powers should be checked for mental problems.”

“Wait Ami,” Luna said, interjecting suddenly. “There might actually be something going on here.” The black cat turned to the blonde girl tanning over her. “Usagi, you said she was about your age, right? And she can sense evil spirits?”

Usagi looked confused. “Yeah, that’s what I said. Why?”

Luna sat down and stared at the ground, deep in thought. “I think we should pay this Rei girl a visit after all. If my memory is correct, which it always is, there was a member of the Sailor Soldiers who had the unique ability to detect evil spirits. She was the Princess’ lookout, always warning her of approaching danger if it ever came near the Moon Kingdom.”

“You’re saying… you think Rei might be a Sailor Soldier?” Ami asked.

“It’s only a hunch,” Luna said. “But I think it’s still something worth looking into.”

Usagi leapt to her feet. “Then it’s settled! We’ll pick up Rei, ask her if she’s a Sailor Soldier, and if she says yes, then we’ll all be best friends and spend the weekend hanging out together! Oh boy, this gonna be fun!”

“Hold on Usagi, we should probably--” Ami was cut off by Usagi grabbing her hand, which never ceased to make her blush.

“Less talk time, more fun time!” Usagi squeaked happily, pulling Ami down the sidewalk. Luna watched the two go along, a huge bead of sweat forming on the side of her head.

“That girl is going to be the death of me…” she sighed before following after the two young girls.

* * *

Mamoru sat in his hospital bed reading a book. Even though he was injured, that was no excuse to fall behind on his studies. Plus, he had a girlfriend now, and he had to set a good example for her so she wouldn’t end up like her ditzy bun-headed friend. Once the two of them were released, Mamoru planned to spend the whole weekend with her, or at least as much time as she wanted to.

Suddenly, the dark-haired boy felt a splitting pain in his head. He dropped the book and clasped his head in both hands, grunting to himself from the immense pain that seemed to be radiating from the center of his brain. Mamoru had been having headaches since last night due to his injuries, but they were few and in between, not to mention nearly painless. This felt like something was living in his brain and was trying to claw its way out. As the migraine got worse and worse, a deep, stoic voice called out to him from the recesses of his mind.

“Get up, Mamoru. She is in danger. We must protect her.” No, it was him again! This damn voice had been controlling him for most of his life, but nobody could ever figure out where it came from or why it happened. He thought he could suppress it, make it go away, but in recent years it had actually become stronger, to the point where sometimes his body obeyed the voice, making him lose control of his actions. There were even times when he would black out and wake up in places he definitely didn’t remember going to.

This time was no different. Mamoru could feel his body begin to respond to the voice’s commands. He felt his face become relaxed and serious. His legs swung over the side of the bed and began walking towards the door. What was he doing? He couldn’t leave yet! Where was this voice even taking him? And who was this ‘her’ it kept referring to? As all these questions raced through his head, he saw his vision begin to go fuzzy. No, it was another blackout! He fought to stay in control, to stop whoever or whatever this being was from taking over his life, but it was no use. As his vision slowly left him, he felt his hand touch the doorknob and begin to turn it.

Right when Mamoru felt himself fade away, he was suddenly snapped back to reality when he felt the door to the room get pulled open from the other side. A doctor stood before him, holding clipboard and staring at him with a firm look. “Were you about to sneak out again?” he asked. Mamoru thought he would be unable to respond, but he felt that he was now in control of his body once again. Both the voice and the headache were gone, and now the young man was left to himself to face the clearly frustrated doctor.

“Uh… no Doc, of course not!” he replied defensively. “I was just… stretching my legs!”

The doctor raised and eyebrow, clearly not believing the boy’s story. However, he eventually sighed and decided to let it go. “Alright, but get back in bed now. You still have two hours before you’re released.”

“Yes sir, I understand.” The doctor closed the door in front of Mamoru, allowing the boy to sigh in relief. He was a little embarrassed that the doctor had caught him trying to leave again, as he really hated getting on people's bad sides, but on the other hand he was happy that he had been stopped before the voice decided to play with his life again. Mamoru walked back over to his bed and climbed into it, opening his book and continuing to read. One day, he was going to figure all this out. 

* * *

The lights in the Tai Chi dojo had been dimmed, with most of the room being lit by candle light. Dozens of people stood in the wide room, all simultaneously practicing the same movements. They all moved in perfect synchronization, as they had been practicing this warm-up routine for weeks and now had it down to near perfection. Rei was at the front of the group, moving her body slowly and fluidly into various positions that the others followed. While everyone in the room moved with relative smoothness, there was a certain grace and elegance to Rei’s movements that the others simply didn't seem to have. It was almost like she wasn’t even remembering practiced movements, but simply letting the movements come to her naturally, turning her body and raising her hands as if it were an instinct.

Grandpa Hino watched his granddaughter from the front of the room with a smile on his face. She was indeed the best student in the class. As a master of Tai Chi himself, he could clearly see where others were faltering, but Rei never missed a beat. He held up his hand suddenly, causing everyone to stop their movements and stand up straight. “Continue practicing this style for the next few minutes.” He began to walk out of the room. “Excuse me, I must use the toilet. When I return, we will move on to meditations.”

As the old man walked out, everyone couldn’t help but chuckle a little. That was their Sensei for them; always serious except when he goofy. The laughter died down, and everyone began moving once again, with Rei in the lead of course.

The raven-haired girl was nervous. She knew that meditating was still something she needed to work at, and she was not looking forward to spending the next few hours practicing it. Rei’s worries began to grow stronger and stronger, but at the same time, she began to feel strangely relaxed. Her muscles felt like they were going numb, and her movements started to become sloppy and off-key. What was going on? Why was she so tired all of a sudden? As she looked around the room, she noticed that several other people looked to be in a similar state of daze; their eyes half-closed and their movements losing grace. Some even began to fall to the ground unconscious. Slowly, Rei felt herself begin to fall as well. She struggled to wrap her head around the situation. Why was this happening? Was this some side effect of the exercise they were doing? It couldn't be, they had practiced this style many times before and nothing like this ever happened. As Rei dropped to her knees and began to keel forward, her eyes fell upon the one person who was still on their feet. Their hand was raised to the sky, and they appeared to be holding some sort of glowing black and purple sphere.

“Mister… Yuuichirou…?” was all she could get out before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Usagi pranced up the stairs to the Tai Chi dojo with a bright smile. She was eager to get to Rei join their little group, both as a new friend and as a possible Sailor Soldier. She looked down the flight of steps to see Ami struggling to climb them. The blue-haired girl was exhausted after being dragged several blocks by Usagi. Apparently she didn’t have the incredible momentum and stamina Usagi had. Then again, she probably didn’t have to make a mad dash to school every morning…

“C’mon, slow poke!” Usagi called out to her brainy friend. “The day won’t stay young forever!” She turned and continued up the stairs, reaching the top in just a few bounds.

Ami continued to climb the stairs, her legs not being given a break even after walking for what seemed like hundreds of blocks. “I really hope this Rei girl is as nice as she sounds.”

Luna came up behind Ami, finally catching up the the two. “If she turns out to be a Sailor Soldier, we’ll have to get her on her good side one way or another.” The cat looked up to Ami and smiled. “I’ve been very fortunate that you and Usagi have been willing to be a part of my mission. I would think most humans would be terrified by the idea of having to fight monsters.”

Ami giggled. “Trust me, it is a little nerve-racking at times.” The girl’s eyes sparkled for a moment. “But as long as Usagi is with me, I’ll never give up.”

Luna was pleased with the girl’s confidence. With Ami around to keep Usagi in check, perhaps there was hope for the world after all. She was about to respond to what Ami said, but the two were suddenly startled by a horrifying scream coming from the top of the hill.

“Usagi!” Ami cried, picking up her feet and sprinting the rest of the way up the stairs, followed quickly by Luna.

The two finally reached the top of the stairs and found Usagi standing in front of an open shoji door. She appeared staring at something inside the dimly-lit room, frozen with fear. Ami squinted into the dark room, hoping to find what had Usagi so spooked. As her vision adjusted, she finally noticed dozens of people lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious, with glowing tendrils seeping out of their bodies. Ami followed the tendrils’ path to another shocking sight: a tall man with long, brown hair standing at the center of the room. He was holding a black and purple sphere over his head, which appeared to be the source of the glowing tendrils.

“It’s a monster!” Luna shouted. “And he’s stealing their energy!”

The brown-haired man ceased his energy-stealing and turned to face the intruders. “I take it you two are the Sailor Soldiers?” He grinned madly and began let out a gargling cackle. “Do not let my current appearance fool you. I will be your strongest opponent yet!” Like many of the monsters before him, the man’s body began to contort and change, his clothes dissolving and new ones forming in their place. His skin became green and armor-plated, resembling an insect’s exoskeleton. His eyes bugged out of their sockets and became large, shiny and orange. A pair of antennae also protruded from his head. His legs cracked and bent backwards at the base of his quadriceps, giving them three joints instead of just two. Finally, a pair of tibia appendages, resembling those of a praying mantis, stabbed out from the man’s wrists and formed what could only be described as ‘wrist blades.’ His transformation now complete, the monster bared its teeth, which were now razor-sharp and needle-like. “My name is Mantis, and I will be the last face you ever see!” He got into a battle stance and aimed his body towards the two girls. “Prepare to experience the power of Bugman Karate!”

Usagi grinned to herself. “Karate, eh?” She sounded like she had a plan. “Well, two can play at that game!” The blonde girl whipped out her Disguise Pen and raised it above her head.

“MOON POWER! Change me into… A BLACK BELT IN KARATE!!!”

A brilliant pink light radiated from the crystal atop the Disguise Pen. It surrounded Usagi and caused her attire to dissolve and reform. When the light faded, Usagi was garbed in a traditional white karate outfit, complete with, as she requested, a black belt. She quickly mirrored Mantis’ combat pose, albeit very sloppily. “Prepare to experience the power of… um… Sailor Karate!”

Luna looked panicked. “Usagi, wait! That’s not how--”

The black cat was too late however, as Usagi charged toward the big green monster, screaming incoherent war cries like a certain famous nunchuck-wielding martial artist. As expected, Mantis wound up his leg and smashed his foot into the girl’s torso, knocking her all the way back to where she started. Usagi clutched her stomach in pain, the wind having been knocked out of her.

Luna smacked her paw against her forehead. “The Disguise Pen changes your appearance! It doesn’t give you any special powers like your brooch does!”

“Owww… I wish you would’ve told me that earlier Luna…” Usagi whined in pain. Ami reached down to the fallen girl and took her hand, helping her to her feet.

“C’mon, Usagi! Let’s take this guy down for real!” Ami said confidently.

Usagi puffed out her chest bravely. “Right!”

“MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

“MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

Rei began to stir, her amethyst eyes opening slowly and her vision adjusting back to normal. As her mind cleared itself, everything began to come back to her: training, feeling drowsy, everyone collapsing, and Mr. Yuuichirou standing there with an evil smile on his face. She raised her head a little, looking around the room. She was surrounded by her classmates, who were all still unconscious. However, her gaze quickly caught onto a new, bizarre sight. Standing at the center of the room was a monster, one that looked like a cross between a man and a praying mantis. Then, she noticed a pair of figures standing in the doorway to the dojo. They were a pair of girls dressed in sailor uniforms, one with long, blonde hair done up in buns and pigtails, and the other with short, blue hair. It was the Sailor Soldiers! They were here to fight the monster! But then, as Rei focused, one of their presences felt similar to another person she had met earlier in the day. It was coming from Sailor Moon, and she felt exactly like that Usagi girl who had showed up the the dojo not too long ago. Could it be… was the reason she felt a supernatural presence from the girl because she had been Sailor Moon all along?

“Mantis!” Sailor Moon called out suddenly. “Taking the energy of people who are practicing to be awesome martial arts fighters is unforgivable!”

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I’LL PUNISH YOU!!!”

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!!!”

Even after the girls had finished striking their respective poses, Mantis remained still as a statue, still fixed in his fighting stance. “Are you going to keep talking, girls? Or are we going to fight?”

Ignoring the monster’s taunt, Mercury tapped a button on her left earring, causing a blue visor to materialize over her eyes. The visor proceeded to scan the monster in front of her, with several holographic circles popping up over various areas on his body. “Usagi, this monster appears to have an armored exoskeleton, just like that of an insect,” she whispered to her blonde comrade.

Sailor Moon looked nervous. “Okay, so then how do we hurt him?”

Ami adjusted her visor. “Well, if he really does have an exoskeleton, that should mean some areas on his body are exposed, likely his joint areas,” the blue-haired girl explained. “I’ll throw up a mist, then you run around and attack him from behind. Remember, aim for his joints.”

“Right!” Sailor Moon said, nodding and bracing herself for battle.

“MERCURY AQUA MIST!!!”

Two shining blue spirals of water formed in both of Mercury’s hands, summoning forth a dense cloud of mist that engulfed the room in seconds. Mantis was taken off guard by this, but he held his ground not breaking his stance for even a moment. He may not be able to see, but that was hardly the only sense he relied on. He could feel movement in the mist through his antennae, which vibrated with every disturbance in the air. Suddenly, they picked up movement from directly behind him. He whirled around and, with lightning-fast reflexes, caught an incoming kick from Sailor Moon that was aimed for the back of his neck. The blonde heroine gulped as her sneak attack was brought to a sudden halt. Mantis grinned maliciously at her as he tightened his grip on her foot.

“Sailor Moon!” Another voice came from in front of Mantis. He looked over and saw Sailor Mercury making a beeline for the two, clearly intent on saving her friend. Mantis was having none of it however. He swung Sailor Moon with all his might and threw her at Mercury, the two soldiers crashing into one another and flying across the room.

“You thought you could sneak up on me like that?” Mantis chuckled. “Bugman Karate has allowed me to hone my senses to their peak. You won’t be able to touch me as long as I can move!” The monster stretched his right arm over to his left shoulder, fixing his eyes and antennae directly at the Sailor Soldiers.

“AIR SLICER!!!”

Mantis swung his arm in front of him, causing a thin blade, seemingly made of air, to fly forward form the tibia on his wrist. Moon and Mercury were barely able to get out of the way as the projectile blade flew directly at them. They managed to dodge it just in time, and the attack ended up slicing through the shoji window, leaving a gap in the wall and allowing the cool air of dusk to spill into the room.

“MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!!!”

Sailor Moon took off her tiara and threw it at Mantis, aiming for his joints like Ami had said. However, in a shocking display, the monster raised his arm and actually caught the golden disk on one of his tibia.

“No way…” Sailor Moon gasped.

Mantis hurled the tiara right back at its owner, lining it up perfectly with the girl’s neck. The soldier of justice braced for the impact, but she was suddenly tackled to the floor by Sailor Mercury. The tiara flew over their heads and cut a second hole in the wall, before reappearing on Sailor moon’s forehead.

“This dojo will be your final resting place, Sailor Soldiers!” Mantis announced. “It will be an honorable act to lay you to rest in such a sacred building, but nonetheless, you will die!”

“What did you say about my dojo?” a voice came suddenly.

Mantis looked over to where he heard the voice and saw a short old man standing at the edge of the room and scowling at him. “What do you want, old man?”

“I’ll have you know that this is a place of life, not death!” Grandpa Hino spat. “Evil beings like you are not welcome here, especially when you threaten the lives of my students!” The old man raised his arms and got into a fighting stance, glaring at Mantis with a hateful look.

The bug monster simply laughed at the sight. “You really think you can defeat me? You’re nothing but a frail old bag!”

Grandpa Hino narrowed his eyes. “An honorable fighter would never insult his opponent.” The Tai Chi master ran at Mantis, raising both arms in knife-hands and lashing out at the monster. He aimed his open-handed strikes at Mantis’ head, chest, stomach and shoulders, but every attack was blocked by the bug man’s armor-plated arms. Moon and Mercury watched in amazement as the brave old man attacked the monster. His hand strikes were so precise, so fluid, and so strong for what appeared to be a small, weak old man. However, Mantis was simply too fast for him. None of Grandpa Hino’s hits landed, all of them being blocked by the tall monster.

Tired of this scuffle, Mantis caught Grandpa Hino’s next strike and drove his foot into the old man’s stomach. The blow caused him to cough up a mouthful of saliva and lose all the air in his lungs. Mantis heaved the man over his shoulder and tossed him across the room onto his back. Grandpa Hino landed hard, the force of the fall not allowing him to draw in a breath. In the end, the old man lost consciousness.

Rei watched the horrific sight as her grandfather was beaten into submission. “Sensei!” she screamed as Tai Chi master landed on the ground and was knocked out. The raven-haired girl was shocked. Her grandfather had never lost a fight before, but this evil creature had taken him down in a matter of seconds! She prayed to the gods that he was not dead.

Mantis sneered. “You have some skills, old man, but you’re no match for the power of Bugman Karate. Old timers like you need to learn your place and hang up your fighting gear permanently. Weaklings have no right challenging a superior fighter in the first place.”

“Shut up!” someone snapped suddenly. Mantis looked over at the crowd of still unconscious Tai Chi students to see one of them rising to their feet at the front of the room. It was the raven-haired girl who had greeted him at the entrance. “How dare you call my grandfather weak! He’s stronger than a monster like you will ever be!”

Mantis laughed. “Is that so? Then explain I was able to defeat him so easily. That old man should retire before he ends up killing himself.”

Rei narrowed her eyes. “I said shut up!” She got into a fighting stance similar to her grandfather’s. “I’ll show you how strong his training has made me!”

“You’re going to fight me too?” Mantis asked, almost curiously. “Do all humans have a death wish?”

“The only one who will be dying today is you!” Rei shouted, her voice full of anger and passion. Suddenly, a blinding red light appeared at the top of the girl’s forehead and filled the room. Mantis shielded his eyes, and so did Sailor Moon and Mercury. Luna kept her eyes fixed on the girl, however, and noticed what the source of the light was: on her forehead was the unmistakable symbol for the planet Mars.

“I was right!” Luna said, smiling with confidence. “Rei, catch!”

The young Tai Chi student turned around to see a small object flying towards her. She did as she was told and caught the object, and, looking down at it, saw that it was a red pen with a golden cap and a small gold ring on top.

“Hold that pen up to the sky and say ‘Mars Power, Make Up!’” Luna instructed the girl.

Rei wasn’t sure why her head was glowing, or what this pen was, or why a cat was talking to her. But what she did know was that this monster that hurt and mocked her grandfather had to be stopped. Through every thought of determination, she felt a calling in the back of her mind. It felt similar to when she detected a presence, but this time there was no presence; only a voice that told her exactly what she needed to do.

“MARS POWER! MAKE UP!!!”

Using the pen, Rei drew the symbol for Mars in the air in front of her, then reached out and touched it. Immediately, several rings of fire encircled her arms, legs and torso, before closing around her and squeezing her body. Despite the rings being made of fire, she felt no pain whatsoever, but she did feel a heat that burned through her muscles and filled her with adrenaline. As the fire dissipated, Rei found herself now dressed in a red and white sailor uniform, complete with red high heels on her feet, white gloves on her arms, and a golden tiara on her forehead.

Sailor Moon couldn’t believe what she saw. “Rei.. you’re a Sailor Soldier?”

“Yes,” Luna replied for her. “She is the third member of the Princess’ royal guard: Sailor Mars!”

“Now there are three…” Mantis growled.

Rei glared at the monster with passionate, hate-filled amethyst eyes. “I guess there are!”

“I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I’LL CHASTISE YOU!!!”

“HA!” Mantis cackled. “It doesn’t matter who you are! Sailor Soldier or not, you’re still weaker than me!” The half-insect man struck another fighting stance. “Now you will experience the true essence of Bugman Karate! Your chances of survival are ZERO!!!”

Mantis was hardly able to finish his sentence when he found Sailor Mars suddenly standing only a few feet in front of him. “Temple…” she whispered before landing a chop on the side of the monster's head. Mantis was unprepared for the attack, causing him to stumble backwards. It felt like an axe had struck his head! How was this girl strong enough to hurt him through his armored skin?! “Diaphragm!” Mars shouted as she smashed her palm into Mantis’ chest, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Now he was pissed! Mantis lunged forward and stabbed at Mars’ throat with his tibia, but the soldier of passion sidestepped and avoided his assault. “Shoulder!” The girl raised her hand and chopped down on the monster’s shoulder, the pressure of the blow knocking him to his knees. Sailor Mars proceeded to flip over Mantis so she was in front of him. The monster had no time to react as the girl unleashed a deadly combo on his head. “Throat! Ears! Eyes!” True to her words, Mars stabbed a knife hand into his throat, followed by a double-chop to his ears, and finally a pair of fingers into his eyes. Mantis was now is tremendous pain. He couldn’t see or hear and could barely breathe. No matter… this girl was going to die one way or another!

The bug man got to his feet and raised his arm again. “Die, you little bitch!”

“AIR SLICE--”

“Spine!” Mars interrupted Mantis’ attack. After blinding him, she maneuvered herself back behind him and now stabbed her knuckles into the center of his back. Suddenly, the monster was unable to move.

“Wha… what did you do to me?” Mantis stuttered.

“I’ve hit a pressure point in your spine,” Mars responded calmly, yet snarky. “You’re not going anywhere until I say so.” She raised her hand and cupped it, a fireball forming in her grasp.

“FIRE SOUL!!!”

Sailor Mars threw the fireball with all her might, sending it smashing into Mantis’ armor plating. However, said armor did little to protect the bug man. The fire found its way between the gaps in his plated body, scorching his outer layer of muscle before melting the skin beneath his armor and cooking his internal organs. Mantis let out a final screech of agony before he was turned into a blazing pile of ashes.

Rei looked down at the smoldering ashes almost with pity. “And I say you’re going to hell.”

* * *

Red and blue lights flashed outside the Hino Dojo. The police had arrived, accompanied by a couple ambulances to ensure the well-being of all the Tai Chi students. The body of the real Mr. Yuuichirou had been discovered as well and was now being hauled away by an ambulance. Grandpa Hino sat on the steps to the dojo, a gauze pad held to his head with bandages, but other than that he was relatively unharmed. As he sat there thinking about what had happened tonight, he was approached by his raven-haired granddaughter.

“I’m so glad you’re alright,” Rei said with a faint smile on her face.

Grandpa Hino simply patted the concrete next to him. “Sit down, child.”

Rei looked nervous, but did as she was told and sat next to her grandfather. “Sensei, I want you to know that I’m so sorry for what I said to you today. I didn’t mean a word of it, I swear.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” the old man said softly. “I understand that what I said may have upset you.”

“But I had no right to call you a bad teacher!” Rei cried. “If anything, I’m a bad student. Sometimes… I wonder how you can love me with how mean I can be…”

Grandpa Hino placed a hand on her shoulder. “Rei, just because there are times when you are not my best student, it does not mean I love you any less. You are my beloved granddaughter, forever and always.”

Rei smiled brightly and pulled her grandfather into a hug, tears brimming on the edge of her eyes. “I love you too, Sensei.”

“You know you don’t have to keep calling me that,” the old man laughed.

“Hey, Rei!” a cheerful voice called out. The two looked over and saw Usagi and Ami approaching.

“I’ll leave you to speak with your new friends,” Grandpa Hino said with a wink. He stood up and walked back to the dojo, ready to do some explaining to the authorities.

Usagi skipped over to Rei, followed by Ami and Luna. “You were so cool out there! Like absolutely amazingly incredible!” the blonde girl chirped.

“You most certainly were, Rei,” Luna said, backing up Usagi’s compliment. “It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Sailor Soldiers.”

Rei raised an eyebrow and gave a sarcastic half-smile. “So… I really did hear you talk? I thought I was still delirious or something.”

Ami giggled. “Trust me, you’re going to see a lot of rather unusual things now that you’re with us.”

“I still have so many questions…” Rei said. “Why do I have these powers? Where are all these monsters coming from? And why do we have to fight them?”

Luna held up her paw. “I will be able to explain all in due time.” She turned to Usagi. “Right now, it’s getting late, and the gods know you need your sleep, Usagi.”

The blonde girl pouted. “Oh, c’mon Luna! I’m not tired at--” She was cut of by a huge, sudden yawn that looked as if it might break her jaw. She quickly covered her mouth and looked back at Luna defensively.

Rei laughed. “You’re not subtle at all, Bun-Head.”

Usagi’s eyes went wide and she looked sadly at Rei. “Noooo! Not you too!”

“What? You do have buns in your hair after all,” Rei said with a playful grin. “Although, I would recommend you get rid of the pigtails. They made me think you were a demon back when you arrived at the dojo.”

“Reiiii! Why are you so mean to me?!” Usagi wailed.

* * *

Jadeite collapsed to the floor, his body still sparking with dark energy bolts. Queen Metalia had called him in with Kunzite, only for her to torture him just like she had in front of Nephrite and Zoisite. Jadeite looked up at his older brother in agony, but the silver-haired man did not look back. Even so, Jadeite could see the regretful expression on his face.

“I told you what would happen if you failed again, and I kept my word,” Queen Metalia hissed. “I hope you understand that this will continue if you do not rectify your failures.”

Kunzite placed a hand over is chest. “I understand, my Queen…” His voice trailed off at the end.

“Get out of my sight, both of you!” the evil ruler roared at her subjects.

Kunzite slung his brother’s arm over his shoulder and carried him out of the room, the blonde man wincing with every step he took. “You just had to go and fail, didn’t you?”

“You must forgive me, brother,” Kunzite said sadly. “I don’t know why she’s decided to take this course of action.”

Jadeite laughed maniacally at this. “You really don’t get it, do you?!” He kept laughing and shook his head, as if disappointed. “And I thought you were smarter than that. It’s times like this that make me wonder how you’re still loyal to her.”

Kunzite froze and glared at Jadeite. “Do not ever bring my loyalty to the Queen into question!” he said in a sort of loud whisper. “My allegiance to her cause is undying!”

Jadeite continue laughing, as if going mad. “Are you so loyal to her that you’d watch your own brother get tortured? I really hate you, you know that?!” He kept laughing for several seconds before finally collapsing into Kunzite’s arms, unconscious.

Kunzite sighed. “And I hate you too… sometimes.” He picked up his younger brother and began carrying him to his barracks. “Tomorrow is another day…” he thought to himself.

  
_~A Suivre~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all like what I'm doing with Rei. I felt that making her a martial artist would allow her to be more of a fighter, as well as bring in a new dynamic for her character. Many aspects of her miko side will still remain though, as you'll see in later chapters ;)  
> Feel free to leave a review!


	6. Sins of the Father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 6! This is a Rei focused chapter, and like Ami, it will set up her relationship with her family. I hope I'm doing these characters justice so far! Rei is one of my favorite characters and I'm having a ton of fun writing her, so let me know what you all think! Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Sins of the Father

Saturday was always a busy day for the mall. Kids were off school, adults were off work, and everyone wanted to take advantage of the one day of the week they were granted unlimited freedom. Thus, they flocked to the place where all the best stores, restaurants, and arcades were located. Usagi was no exception to this crowd. There wasn't a being in the universe that could deny that she was a raging shopaholic. The blonde bun-headed girl made it a habit to spend nearly every Saturday at the mall; she bought all the latest fashion, tried all the newest fast food menu items, and played all the most popular arcade games (of course, she always ended up complaining that it wasn't the same without Motoki there to encourage her). It ended up costing her parents a great deal of money, to the point where they began to insist that Usagi get a job of her own. The girl would always promise that she would, but after a whole year she still never scheduled a single interview. "Next week, I promise!" she would say following a lecture from her parents, to which they would roll their eyes.

Usagi had originally planned to come to the mall with Naru, but of course Mamoru felt the need to intervene once again, this time going so far as to become Naru's boyfriend. Luckily, Naru wasn't the only BFF Usagi had now. Ami had gladly decided to go along with her to the mall, despite the place not really being her scene, and, somehow, Rei had begrudgingly agreed to accompany them.

* * *

 "Please Rei! It'll be really fun!" Usagi whined.

"I'd rather not spend my day surrounded by people who only think about shopping and have no sense of personal space," Rei said sternly. "I'm not going, and that's my final decision."

"But Rei! We're friends now, and friendship is the most important thing in the world!" Usagi rose her fist to the sky. "Every moment we spend together will strengthen our friendship, and the stronger we are as friends, the stronger we'll be as Sailor Soldiers! If we become the best friends in the whole wide world, the Dark Kingdom won't stand a cha-"

"Alright, fine! I'll go, I'll go!" Rei shouted, feeling as if her ears were about to explode. "Just… Kami-sama, stop saying the word 'friends!' It sounds weird now that you've said it so much!"

* * *

 Usagi smiled as she reminisced about convincing Rei to come along. Whether it inspired people or annoyed them into submission, friendship speeches always worked wonders. Now that the three of them were together, it was time for a day of shopping!

"Hey Usagi, can we go to that book store on the other side of the mall?" Ami asked.

Usagi was about to answer, but she felt her stomach begin to growl violently. "Sure, but only if we stop for food on the way there!" the blonde girl said.

Ami raised and eyebrow and smiled faintly. "But the first thing we did when we got here was eat…"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind stopping." The two girls looked behind them and saw Rei staring back with a frown. Her arms were loaded with shopping bags from at least ten different stores. "I really need to put these down for awhile."

"But Rei, you said you would carry my bags for me!" Usagi chirped.

Rei's frown deepened. "No, what you said was 'Hey Rei! Can you hold onto these for a second?' and I said 'No problem, Usagi!' The next thing I know, I become your personal coat rack for the next half hour!"

"Aw, but Rei!" Usagi whined. "I can't hold all those bags myself! You're the strongest one here, so you should have no problem carrying them around." She smiled at the end of her sentence, only to have Rei throw every single one of the bags she was carrying at the young blonde, knocking her to the floor.

"If you want to buy everything in the store, learn to carry your own load, Bun-Head!" Rei said before marching off ahead with Ami.

"Guys, come back! I can't get up!" Usagi cried from beneath the pile of shopping bags.

A few moment later, the four girls were sitting at a table in the mall's food court. Ami was sipping away at a bottle of water, while Rei nibbled at a box of rice she'd gotten from a nearby Chinese carry-out restaurant. Usagi, despite being the one who wanted to stop for food, didn't have a bite to eat. She was still panting heavily from having to drag all her shopping bags halfway across the mall, claiming she wasn't hungry anymore by the time she caught up with her two friends.

"Maybe you wouldn't have so much trouble carrying your bags if you didn't eat all that ice cream earlier," Rei chastised.

Usagi scowled. "Hey! Don't tell me not to eat ice cream! Ice cream is the greatest food in the whole wide world!"

Ami shook her head. "You need to learn to incorporate healthy foods into your diet, Usagi. You don't want to get cavities, do you?"

"Too late, Ami. At this point her teeth are probably so yellow that traffic slows down when she smiles," Rei said, trying not to giggle at her own joke.

"Reiiii! Why are you so mean to me?!" Usagi was about to start whining again, but suddenly Luna poked her head out of Usagi's purse.

"Alright girls, that's enough," she said, hopping onto the table.

"Luna?" Ami said, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were here."

"I've been napping in Usagi's purse, until her crying woke me up." This comment generated a disapproving glare from the blonde girl. "Anyway, the reason I came along is that I have something to give you all." The cat stuck her head back into Usagi's purse and came back out with three strange watch-looking devices in her mouth, which she dropped on the table in from of the girls. "These are communicators. Now that you three are a team, you're going to need a way to reach each other at any point in time, as we never know when the Dark Kingdom will strike next."

Usagi quickly snatched the one with a pink chain and strapped it on. "Wow! So cute! It's like having a second phone!"

Luna sighed. "They're not toys, Usagi, Make sure you only use them for relaying information to the others or for emergencies."

Ami strapped on the communicator with a blue chain and inspected it. "Quite an intricate piece of technology. Would you mind if I took it apart and looked at it back home? Just out of curiosity…" she added shyly at the end.

"Sorry, but I'd rather you not," Luna apologized. "My boss put a lot of work into making these, and he can be quite irritable when his stuff gets tampered with."

Rei strapped her communicator to her wrist. Of course, it had a red chain. "So… how do we use them, Luna?"

"Just press the button on the side and speak into it. The conversation should be transmitted to all three devices," the black cat instructed.

A mischievous grin crept across Usagi's face. "Hey Rei, put yours up to your ear!" she said playfully.

Rei was confused as to why she would use the communicator when she was right here, but nonetheless she raised the device to her ear. This was a mistake…

"WOOOOOOOO!" Usagi cheered into her own communicator. Rei felt as if a hot knife had been stabbed into her eardrum. Her eyes went wide and she jerked the communicator away from her head. Even after it was over, the raven-haired girl was left with a ringing in her ear. "Hahaha! Gotcha, ReiRei!" The laughing blonde was suddenly silenced by Rei's jabbing two fingers into a pressure point on her neck. Usagi immediately went limp and slumped forward onto the table, temporarily paralyzed.

"Don't prank me like that, and don't call me ReiRei," the young martial artist said sternly.

Luna pawed at Usagi's arm. "I told you that it's not a toy, Usagi!"

Usagi's eyes were now a pair of spirals. Her head laid on the table and she began drooling. "Why can't I feel my everything?" she mumbled.

Ami looked at Rei disapprovingly. "Was that really necessary? She was only playing around."

Rei was about to answer when she felt a presence. For a brief moment, she thought it might be a monster, until the presence began to feel familiar. Her amethyst eyes darted around the food court, looking for anyone or anything that could be causing this feeling. Eventually, she caught the eye of someone who appeared to be staring at her, but he turned away as soon as she saw him. However, Rei didn't need to get a good look at his face to know who he was, and that knowledge caused a fiery rage to start growing in her heart.

"Rei? What's wrong?" Ami asked, concerned.

Rei abruptly stood up and began walking away. "I'm sorry, I… I just remembered I have somewhere to be…" the young girl stormed off down the mall, bumping into several people on her way, but not stopping.

Ami looked confused. She glanced around to see what may have gotten Rei so riled up, but nothing looked out of the ordinary to her. Maybe something really had just come up for her.

"Rei! Wait up!" Usagi suddenly said and took off after her friend, apparently having recovered from her paralysis. Just as she was nearly out of the food court, she stopped and ran back to the table, picking up all of her shopping bags. "Ami, can you take Luna back to my house? Thanks!" she said, not waiting for an answer. With that, the bun-headed girl ran after Rei once again, slower this time due to being weighed down by the bags of clothes she now carried.

Luna's head drooped. "Well, I don't feel neglected at all…" she said sarcastically.

Ami smiled. "That's Usagi for you; always looking out for her friends."

"I just hope she doesn't do anything to annoy Rei," the black cat sighed.

* * *

 The monster barracks were wild today. Two large, muscular beasts had gotten into a fight, and the others were delighting in cheering them on, encouraging them to kill one another. The first monster, a beast with a bulldog's head and huge, bulky arms, but tiny, scrawny legs, had his opponent's throat in his hands. The other monster, a creature with an ox's head wearing gladiator armor, was struggling to free himself from the bulldog's grasp. Finally, the ox monster managed to kick his opponent off of him and free his neck. He proceeded to pick up his weapon, a giant double-sided axe, and raise it over the bulldog monster. Just as the other monsters roared for him to finish it, the door to the barracks suddenly swung open. They all immediately stood at attention, expecting to see their master Kunzite entering. However, upon seeing Jadeite walking in, they all began snickering and snarling.

"Well, well, well…" the bulldog monster said, getting back on his feet. "If it isn't the misfit of the Dark Knights!" He proceeded to walk over to the short blonde man on his knuckles, his legs apparently too small and weak to support his massive upper body. "Have you come here with a death wish?" The bulldog smiled down at Jadeite with a sharp, toothy grimace.

Jadeite looked up at the monster and returned the smile. "Actually, I've come here to recruit one of you something I need."

Every monster in the barracks immediately burst out laughing. The sound, which could be compared to a symphony of wild animals, could probably be heard all throughout the castle. The bulldog monster widened his grin and bent over so that he towered over Jadeite. "You've got some nerve asking anything of us!"

"I'm not asking," Jadeite chuckled, his eyes showing a strange mix of arrogance and worry. "I'm ordering."

The bulldog was no longer smiling. He gritted his sharp teeth and snarled madly, drool slobbering from his lips. The monster raised a single muscular arm, which was about the size of Jadeite himself. Just when it looked like the knight was about to be squashed, a gnarled, taloned hand reached out from the shadows and grabbed onto the bulldog's ear. True to his appearance, the monster began whining like a dog, lowering his arm and becoming incredibly submissive. It seemed his ears were a weak point. The bulldog looked over to see who had pinned him, and his eyes went wide.

"L-L-Lady Blackwing…!" he whimpered weakly.

A new monster stepped out from the shadows, still holding onto the bulldog's ear. She had the body of a woman, and a very sultry woman at that, talons on her hands and feet like those of a hawk, and, as her name suggested, a pair of huge black raven wings sporting from her back. "You dare to lay a hand on my dear Jadeite?!" she hissed.

The bulldog looked at her with pleading eyes. "N-No! I would never!"

Lady Blackwing held up the monster in her clutches and looked to the other monsters. "Do you remember what I said would happen to anyone who dares threaten Jadeite?"

The ox monster stepped forward. "Pain and despair awaits, m'lady!" he said nervously.

The raven lady smiled seductively at the ox. "Good boy…"

The ox monster blushed lightly and lowered his head. Lady Blackwing then proceeded to throw the bulldog at the ox, the two colliding and falling to the hard stone floor. With those two out of the way, she turned back to Jadeite.

"So, Jadey Boy… I heard you need someone for a job?" Blackwing batted her eyes at her crush and stroked his chest.

Jadeite backed up, a little embarrassed, but went on with his request. "I have been working with a human for some time on a special operation of mine. However, I have recently come to suspect that he has been stepping out of line. I'd like you to locate him and… send him a message." He winked at her with that last statement.

Lady Blackwing smiled devilishly. "Of course, love. Anything for you. And I can use any means necessary to deliver this… message?"

"As long as you don't kill him. This human is imperative to my plan," Jadeite said, a little firm this time.

"And what would this human's name be?" Blackwing asked, raising an eyebrow in a flirtatious manner.

* * *

 Rei walked briskly down the street, not stopping since she had stood up at the food court. She felt bad for leaving Usagi and Ami behind, but she needed some time to herself. The person she saw caused something to stir inside of her, and she would hate to take her anger out on her new friends. Even though Usagi was annoying, she didn't deserve the wrath that this person incurred in her heart. The raven-haired girl saw the entrance to her grandfather's dojo, where she planned to spend the rest of the night meditating, or at least trying to. Meditation was still something she had to work on, especially when she was in a mood like this.

"Rei!" a high-pitched voice came from behind her. She turned around to see Usagi approaching, sweating and panting, likely from having to carry all her bags all this way. "Geez, I forgot how far out of town you live!" she said, gasping for breath.

"So you followed me home again?" Rei asked.

Usagi continued panting like a dog. "Yeah… but it was really hard with all these bags-"

"That was a rhetorical question," Rei interrupted. "Look, I'm sorry I left so suddenly, but please go away. I… I need to be alone right now."

Usagi lowered her shopping bags and looked worriedly at her friend. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Rei paused for a moment. "I saw my father at the food court."

"Is that bad?" the blonde asked curiously.

"Yes it's bad!" Rei said, raising her voice suddenly. "He's the sorriest excuse for a father I've ever seen! He…" She stopped herself. "Wait, why am I telling you this? This is none of your business!" she shouted at Usagi before turning and stomping up the steps to the dojo.

Usagi looked sad. "You don't have to be so mean about it…"

Rei turned around and glared at Usagi, her eyes blazing with anger. "I'm the one being mean?! Don't you think that butting into someone's life and pressing them about something personal is a little mean? Do you ever think about other people's feelings? Kami-sama, do you even think at all?!"

Usagi's eyes were now filled with tears. Rei's outburst was clearly too much for her. She fell to her knees and began wailing like a baby. "WAAAAAHHHH!"

Rei quickly dropped her angry demeanor, her eyes now full of regret. "Usagi, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I just…" She was not adept to dealing with hurting someone's feelings. Instead of coming up with an apology, she simply turned tail and ran the rest of the way up the steps, hating herself all the way.

Usagi eventually calmed down, but by that time Rei was already at the top of the stairs. There was no stopping her now. The blonde gathered her bearings, as well as her shopping bags, and stood up, ready to begin the long and somber trek home.

* * *

 Grandpa Hino sat cross-legged in the middle of the training room, surrounded by candles with all the lights off. He had been meditating for the past few hours and had finally gotten his mind to calm. It felt as if there were nothing around him; it was just him, his soul, and the universe. The old man was truly at peace. That is, until his granddaughter threw open the shoji doors that made up the entrance and let the evening sunlight pour into the dark room. Grandpa Hino squeezed his eyes shut, trying to adjust to the sudden presence of light. It took him a few seconds to realize Rei was even there.

"Rei! What is the meaning of this?" he snapped. "You have interrupted my meditations!"

Rei struggled to find her words. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean… ugh!" She never finished her sentence, instead choosing to walk frantically across the room towards the hallway that led to her bedroom. However, her grandfather quickly stood up and grabbed her arm.

"What's the matter, my child?" he asked calmly. "Your chi is incredibly unbalanced."

"I…" she began. "I just got into a fight with one of my friends, that's all."

Grandpa Hino sighed. "Ah… well I'm sure whatever happened between you two can easily be resolved. Just give your friend time to think, and approach her when the time is right."

Rei put in a fake smiled. "Yeah, sure…" Her smile disappeared in mere seconds. "Actually, that's not the only thing, Sensei. I saw… I saw him today."

Her grandfather narrowed his eyes. "Him?" The old man began clenching his fist. "That man has no right to be in your life…"

Seeing her grandfather beginning to get uncharacteristically angry, Rei knelt down and hugged the shorter man. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you riled up. But please don't be mad. I already hurt Usagi because of him. Please don't make the same mistake I did."

Grandpa Hino returned the hug. "Forgive me, child. Now I see what has you so out of shape." He broke the hug, but kept his hands on Rei's shoulders. "Go to your room and practice meditating. I believe this may be the best time to do so."

Rei looked concerned. "But Sensei, won't my anger disturb my thoughts? I mean… don't I need a clear conscience to meditate?"

The old man shook his head and smiled. "Meditation does not result from a clear mind. It is meant to help us clear our minds in the first place. Perhaps you should remember that when you practice from now on."

Rei was taken aback. She wasn't used to getting advice outside of classes, but what her grandfather said made everything seem so obvious now that he pointed it out. It was true; she had always assumed that meditation required one's mind to be clear from the start, but now her Sensei was telling her that she could only achieve a clear mind through meditation. What an idiot she'd been…

The young martial artist stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Sensei. I will definitely remember that." Grandpa Hino bowed back, and then Rei walked out of the room and toward her bedroom. She still felt anger from seeing her father, but with her grandfather's new advice, she felt confident that she could clear these hateful thoughts from her mind. More than anything, she wished to reconcile with Usagi, but that would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

 Usagi finally made it back home after what felt like an eternity. She had carried ten whole shoppings bags of clothes for nearly twenty blocks, but even all of that work wasn't what was weighing her down. This was the first time she had seen Rei truly angry at something, but she never would've expected to receive the full front of that anger. How could anyone hate their father so much that it caused them to lash out at their friends? Was it even possible for a father to be that bad? They were supposed to love and look after their daughters, after all. She wanted to ask Rei more questions, but that probably couldn't happen for awhile.

"Oh, hi Usagi! Glad to see you're home!" Speak of the Devil. There was Usagi's father, Mr. Tsukino, sitting in the living room flipping through channels on the TV.

Usagi's face lit up. "Hi daddy! You sure are home early."

"Well, it is steak night after all, and your mother and I love cooking it together!" the man said, calling out to the kitchen at the end.

"More like it's the one thing I can't make on my own," responded Mrs. Tsukino from the kitchen. "I never know the right amount of seasoning to put on!"

Mr. Tsukino laughed. "But I can never cook it right! It always comes out too raw or too dry."

Usagi let out a giggle. "You're both hopeless," she said playfully.

"Careful, young lady!" Mr. Tsukino said in mock irritation. "One day you're going to have to learn to cook for yourself."

"And we don't mean just cookies and ice cream," her mom interjected.

"Moooom!" Usagi whined. "Why is everyone always on me about that?!" The blonde girl suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw her dad smiling down at her.

"Don't worry, honey. As long as you're my daughter, you can have all the treats you want," he whispered with a wink.

Usagi beamed and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. As she embraced her incredibly tall dad, she couldn't help but wonder: how could anyone truly hate their father?

* * *

 Rei sat at the center of her bedroom. She had turned off all the lights, closed all the windows, and lit several candles; the perfect environment for meditation. All she had to do now was relax and let go of the world. She closed her eyes, steadied her breathing, and let her thoughts flow from her mind. There wasn't a sight, a sound, or a presence that could disturb her now. Of course, as soon as she entered her mind, the thought of her father came back. He just had to invade her life even when she was trying to meditate! No, she couldn't let the mere thought of him do that. She just had to stay calm, take deep breaths, and let all her worries disappear.

Within a few minutes, she had forgotten all about her dad. In fact, she had completely forgotten all about the world around her. It felt like she was now sitting in a wide open field with a cool breeze to her back. Then, as she drifted further into her peaceful state, she felt like she was sitting on a cloud, floating steadily through the air. The pure serenity of the state she was in now seemed to cause her body to dissolve, leaving behind only her spirit. And now, it was just her spirit drifting through an empty void. At last, she was alone. Rei began to experience new feelings, unlike anything she had felt before. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat, feel the blood coursing through her veins, and feel the very air particles around her coming into contact with her skin.

Suddenly, off in the distance, she saw something. No, she felt something. It was… a person. He was standing at the edge of the void, just a dot at the peak of Rei's vision. He felt very faint at first, likely due to how detached Rei was at this point, but nonetheless, he was there. And then, he began moving closer. And closer. The figure, the man, was now flying towards her like a bullet. Rei was terrified. She wanted to run away, but she couldn't move. She could only sit there, completely paralyzed, as the man got bigger, and bigger, and BIGGER…

Rei snapped out of her meditative state, panting like she had just run a marathon. It felt like she had just woken up from a nightmare. She looked around her room and saw that she was still alone. But that man she saw… he felt so real, so close… Rei suddenly felt compelled to look out her window. She ran over to the curtains and threw them open, looking around the hill surrounding the dojo. Lo and behold, behind a nearby tree, she saw a man dressed in a black suit and tie staring up at her window. As soon as he saw that Rei had spotted him, he took off running down the hill and towards the street. Rei saw he was heading for a car.

"Oh no you don't, you bastard!" Rei whispered angrily to herself. She quickly slid her window open and leapt out of it, landing on the branch of a tree. She dropped down to the ground, landing in a deep crouch as to not break her legs. Thankfully, the drop only resulted in a brief discomfort in the bottom of her feet. She dashed after the escaping man as fast as her legs could carry her. All those kicks she did in her grandfather's Tai Chi classes seemed to be paying off, as she caught up with the man in no time and grabbed him by his shirt collar. She spun him around and glared at him with hate-filled eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing, dad?!"

To Rei's surprise, the man she now held by his neck was not her father. After seeing him at the mall, she had expected him to be tailing her all day, but now it was just one of his stupid agents. She held the man by his collar and practically lifted him into the air. "Who are you and why are you watching me?"

"Y-Your father sent me! He told me to… to keep an eye on you!" the man said, clearly frightened by how fierce the young girl was.

Rei sneered. Was her father really so high-strung that he had to send an agent to watch over his daughter instead of doing it himself? "Well, you go back to that office of his an tell him that I don't need him or anyone keeping an eye on me! Tell that asshole to stay out of my life for good!"

She released the man and backed away, remembering that she needed to breathe in between sentences. As Rei stood there panting, the man stared at her, dumbfounded. He now believed that this girl really didn't need to be watched. If her demeanor alone could scare someone as big and strong as him, she could probably handle herself.

"Get out of here…" Rei growled before turning around and heading back up the steps towards the dojo. She felt relieved knowing that her message would finally be delivered. Maybe now her dad would understand that his daughter didn't want nor need him in her life anymore. She smiled at the thought of never seeing or hearing from him again. That was a day she was looking forward to…

Rei was startled by the piercing sound of a loud screech coming from high up in the sky. She and the man looked up and saw a dark shape careening towards them. Before either of them could react, a monster with the body of a woman and the wings and talons of a raven swooped down and grabbed the man, hauling him off into the sky. Rei tried to run after them, but the two were already far out of her reach. She could hear the man screaming in terror, only to be drowned out by the angry screech of the monster.

"Dammit!" Rei snapped. Where the hell did that thing come from? No, that didn't matter right now. That man was in danger and it was her job as a Sailor Soldier to save him. She brought her new communicator up to her mouth and turned it on. "Usagi! Ami! This is Rei. A monster just abducted someone off the street in front of my dojo. I need you to transform and help me save him right now!"

Usagi's voice came on. "Awww, but Rei! It's after midnight!"

"Not kidding, Bun-Head! Get out here now!" Rei shouted into the device. She wondered if any passerby would think she was crazy for yelling at seemingly nothing.

"Wait, how will we know where to find you?" Ami's voice asked. That was a good question. Rei thought about it for a moment. She didn't know where the monster was going, so how would either of her fellow Soldiers know where to meet up?

"Everyone, the communicators are also equipped with tracking systems! You can use those to find each other," Luna said from what sounded like Usagi's line.

"Don't you think you should've told us that earlier, Luna?" Usagi criticized.

Rei rolled her eyes. "This is no time to argue! Wherever I end up is probably where I'm fighting the monster. Just get there as soon as you can!" She lowered her communicator, reached into her pocket and took out her Transformation Pen.

"MARS POWER, MAKE UP!"

* * *

 Lady Blackwing flew low over a gravely rooftop, dropping the man halfway across and causing him to come to a rough, rolling stop. The raven woman flapped her wings one last time before gracefully touching down on the roof, then began stalking over to the terrified man, who was trying desperately to crawl to safety. Lady Blackwing quickly planted a taloned foot on the man's back, pinning him to the gravel-covered roof.

"So I take it you're the one Jadeite wants?" Blackwing hissed. "I'll never understand his fascination with humans. You're a disgusting, cowardly race."

The man looked up at her with scared and confused eyes. "J-Jadeite? Who's Jadeite?"

The monster snarled and pressed her talons into his back, not hard enough to pierce the skin, but enough to cause tremendous pain. The poor man cried out in agony. "Don't play dumb with me, human! Jadeite told me I would find you following that girl, and I did. Now, listen to me carefully…"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the man screamed. "I swear! Please just.. let me go!"

Lady Blackwing had enough. She dug her talons into his back, ripping through his black suit and stabbing into his skin, drawing a small amount of blood. The man let out another pained scream. "I was told not to kill you, but he never said I couldn't leave you just shy of death! Now shut up and listen!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

Before Lady Blackwing could continue, she saw a bright red glow out of the corner of her eye. She looked up just in time to see a fireball barreling towards her. Luckily, she managed to spring off the downed man and take to the air, narrowly avoiding getting cooked.

"Who did that?!" Blackwing hissed. She looked around the rooftop until her gaze met a pair of amethyst eyes glaring back at her. At the very edge of the roof stood a young girl in a red and white sailor outfit. The girl's hand was still smoking, letting the monster know just who threw that fireball at her. "A Sailor Soldier…"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"And I would just love to see you try!" The raven lady screeched before diving straight at Mars. She reached out with her taloned hand, trying to skewer the girl in one fell swoop, but Mars was too quick. The Soldier of Fire sidestepped and grabbed the monster's talon, stopping her dead in her tracks. She proceeded to flip Blackwing over her shoulder and toss her across the roof, the monster landing several yards away.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Mars hurled another fireball at Lady Blackwing, but she managed to leap out of the way just in time. She then flicked one of her wings at Sailor Mars, sending a single black feather flying at the Soldier. Mars just narrowly avoided the feather, but her arm still got clipped, leaving behind a thin cut.

"Damn, those things are sharp!" Mars exclaimed. She looked back towards her adversary, but found that the raven woman had disappeared. Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her midsection, and then she felt herself being lifted high into the air. Lady Blackwing had somehow managed to sneak up behind her and was now flying into the air with her. Once the two were about thirty feet above the roof, Lady Blackwing raised Mars over her head and threw her back down towards the roof. The Soldier of Passion began to panic. There was no way she could survive a fall like this!

In the blink of an eye, Mars felt another pair of arms around her body. Before she knew it she had landed safely back on the roof, now being held bridal-style by none other than Sailor Moon. The blonde soldier smiled cheerfully at her. "Need a hand, my fiery princess?"

Mars looked up at Moon with sparkling eyes. It felt weird being saved by another girl, but the way Usagi held her and that quip she just made almost made her seem like a prince. Wait… what the heck was she talking about? Usagi, a prince? Her, a princess?! A wave of repulsion washed over the raven-haired girl.

"Let go, Bun-Head!" Mars said firmly, squirming out of Moon's hold and tumbling onto the gravely roof.

"Geez Rei, I just saved you! Could I at least get a 'thank you?'" Sailor Moon whined.

From above, Lady Blackwing screeched down at them. "So Sailor Moon, you've decided to join us! Let's play!" She reared back, preparing to throw more of her sharp black feathers at the two soldiers.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Before Blackwing could attack, she was surrounded by a thick, cold mist, obscuring her vision and making it difficult to move. Moon and Mars looked up at the cloud of mist that now hovered over them, only to turn their attention back to the roof when a new figure entered the fray. It was none other than Sailor Mercury.

"No offense, but you two need to learn to watch your backs," Mercury said, raising her finger and speaking in a lecturing tone.

Mars rolled her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind."

"How do we stop her, Ami?" Sailor Moon asked urgently.

Mercury looked up towards the mist cloud and pressed her earring, forming the blue visor over her eyes. It scanned Lady Blackwing's form through the mist, causing numerous lines of data and numbers to drape across the screen, followed by two circles appearing over the monster's wings. "It looks like her wings are her strongest weapon. However… they're so big a target, they could also be her biggest weakness!"

"So we need to cut them off?" Sailor Mars asked. "No problem!"

Before any of them could act, Mercury's mist attack dispersed, as Blackwing had blown it away with her wings. She let out an angry screech and dove straight at the three soldiers. All three managed to jump out of the way, leaving Blackwing to smash her taloned feet into the rooftop, turning many of the pebbles that covered it to dust. "Damn you!" she hissed. The raven woman began spinning like a ballerina, sending dozens of her sharp feathers flying in all directions. Moon, Mercury, and Mars ducked and dove in all directions, trying to avoid the projectiles. They received several small cuts in the fray, but nothing too serious. The agent that had been abducted by Blackwing pressed himself low to the ground, praying that none of the feathers would hit him.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara and threw the glowing golden disk at Lady Blackwing, aiming it at her wings. The monster saw the attack coming, however, and used her wings to propel herself into the air, easily dodging the tiara. "She's too fast! I can't hit her!" Sailor Moon cried in frustration. Just then, she saw that Blackwing had thrown three more sharp feathers at her, and they were approaching rapidly.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars shouted. She watched in horror as the feathers headed straight for her blonde friend, who seemed to be paralyzed with fear. The Soldier of Fire dashed towards Sailor Moon, but she slowly realized that she wasn't going to make it in time.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes, bracing for the pain that was surely to come. Instead, she felt a light gust of wind brush up against her, and when she looked up she saw a long piece of black fabric waving in front of her, Blackwing's feathers sticking out of it. The Soldier of Love looked up with ecstatic eyes and saw Tuxedo Mask standing above her and holding his cape in front of her protectively.

"Tuxedo Mask! You came back!" she cried with joy.

The handsome man smiled down at her. "Apologies, Sailor Moon. I've been a little preoccupied lately."

Sailor Moon stood up and grasped the man's arm. "I don't care! You saved me again! You really are my hero!"

Sailor Mercury watched as Moon showered Tuxedo Mask with affection and admiration. She was overjoyed to see her friend was okay, but the blue-haired girl felt a sting of jealousy in her heart at the sight of Usagi fawning over the tuxedo-clad man.

"Dammit! You won't stop me again!" Lady Blackwing screeched. She reared her wing back, ready to throw another barrage of feathers at the blond girl and her savior. Suddenly, the monster felt something grab her wing and hold it back, preventing her from using her attack. She turned around and saw Sailor Mars holding onto her wing with one hand. Her eyes were filled with a passionate rage.

"You're starting to piss me off…" Mars said in a scarily calm tone.

Lady Blackwing snarled viciously. She raised her taloned hand, ready to slice Sailor Mars into ribbons, but she was stunned when the Soldier of Passion stabbed a knife-hand into her ribs. Mars followed this up with a leg sweep that knocked the monster off balance, followed by a chop to her throat, slamming her into the roof. Mars raised her hand, ready to strike again, but Blackwing pulled her leg back and kicked out at the raven-haired girl, knocking her back several yards.

The raven woman struggled to her feet, baring her teeth in anger. "I won't fail… you may fight for justice or whatever, but I fight for love!" She reared back her wings again, preparing to launch her feathers at Sailor Mars. "Jadeite, my master, my love, I swear I will not fail you!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Sailor Mercury called out her attack, but instead of standing back and spraying the mist at Lady Blackwing, she grabbed onto the monster's wings, pressing the water spirals against them. The icy cold mist spread over the feathers and the skin underneath, freezing the wings down to the bone. Suddenly, Lady Blackwing couldn't move them anymore.

"No! What have you done?!" Blackwing whirled around and slashed her talons at Mercury, but the Soldier of Wisdom jumped back just in time.

"I froze her wings!" Mercury called out to her comrades. "Destroy them now!"

Hearing this, Tuxedo Mask took out his cane and ran at Lady Blackwing, smashing his weapon into her frozen wings and shattering them. The monster let out a terrified screech of pain and dropped to her knees, reaching up and clawing at her back, which was now burning with pain. "Now! Finish her off, girls!" Tuxedo Mask shouted to the soldiers.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars each sent forth their respective attacks. The fireball enveloped the razor-sharp disc in mid air, turning the attack into a spinning blade of fire. Lady Blackwing was in too much pain to react at all, and was quickly torn in half by the blazing boomerang attack. She let out a final cry of agony before crumbling into a pile of ashes.

Sailor Mars let out a deep sigh or relief. That creep was really getting on her nerves. If her dad and his crony weren't enough trouble, she just had to show up and make her day even worse. Oh well, at least she was dead now.

"Reiiii!" Sailor Moon collided with Mars and pulled her into a tight hug. "That was so cool, the way we combined our attacks like that! We should do that next time too!"

Sailor Mars was confused. "Aren't you still mad at me? I mean, after how I acted…"

"Of course I'm not mad at you!" Moon chirped. "After all, we're BFF's now, ReiRei!"

Mars grabbed one of the blonde girl's pigtails and yanked, generating a yelp from the girl. "What did I say about calling me ReiRei?" she said sternly.

"Guys!" Sailor Mercury called out. Moon and Mars looked over to see her kneeling next to the agent and holding his wrist. The two rushed over to her side. "He's alive, but unconscious. I can't tell if he passed out from the shock of the situation or if he's already lost that much blood," she said, gesturing to the puncture marks on his back, courtesy of Lady Blackwing's talons.

"I'll take him to the hospital," Tuxedo Mask said, now standing over the man as well. He crouched down and picked the man up gently, trying not to aggravate his wounds.

"You're so brave!" Sailor Moon said, her eyes shaped like hearts. Mercury felt like an arrow had pierced her heart at those words.

"Thank you, Tuxedo Mask," Mars said, nodding at the man. "Without you, Sailor Moon might have been killed."

Tuxedo Mask smiled. "All in a day's work." He turned to go, but looked back one more time, giving the girls a thumbs-up. "I look forward to continue fighting by your side, Sailor Soldiers." With that, he leapt off the edge of the roof and landed on the next building over, still carrying the unconscious agent. He continued off into the night until the three girls couldn't see him anymore.

"He's so cool!" Sailor Moon said, still fangirling over her 'hero.'

"I wonder who he really is," Sailor Mars said, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Speaking of wondering, would you mind telling us why you ran off earlier today?" Mercury spoke up. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I'd just like to know."

Rei was about to decline, but she noticed a sad look in Usagi's eyes. She owed the girl this much for the way she treated her back at the dojo. "My father is the worst person I've ever known in my life," she began. "I used to love him, I really did." She paused. Her voice seemed to break a little at the end of that sentence. "But about two years ago, he became a monster. He shut me out of his life because his company had apparently made a major breakthrough. All of a sudden, his work became more important than his family. He didn't come to my martial arts classes or even any of my birthdays. Even when…" She paused again. Usagi and Ami could hear the anger building in her voice. "Even when my mother was diagnosed with cancer, he didn't show his pathetic face!" Rei was in a full-blown rage now. "She was dying, and he just abandoned her! On the day she was supposed to die, he called me and said he would come see her, but he never did! He just stayed at work while his wife died and I was left crying over her lifeless body!" Rei's face was red now and she was breathing rapidly. Usagi took a step towards her, but Ami placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. After a few moments, Rei's breathing steadied and she began to calm down. "I haven't heard a word from him since that day, and I hope it stays that way. I'm living with my grandfather now, and he's the one I consider my father." Rei looked at her friends. "If that man we saved tonight had been my real father, I would've let that monster do whatever she wanted with him."

Usagi quickly took Rei's hand and squeezed it. "No, Rei! You don't mean that!"

"I do!" Rei said, pulling her hand away. "Look Usagi, I'm sorry I yelled at you today. I had no right to throw all my anger at you. But I meant what I said just now. I hate my father, and I'll never forgive him for abandoning me and my mother."

Usagi looked at Rei sadly, but said nothing else. Instead, she pulled the raven-haired girl into another hug, which Rei returned. Ami watched the two embrace from a distance. She was suddenly a lot happier with the relationship she had with her mother.

* * *

 "JADEITE!" Kunzite had spotted his brother down a long hallway and began stomping towards him. The shorter blonde man simply stood there with an innocent smile on his face. "What happened to Lady Blackwing? I had an assignment for her, but when I went to the barracks, my monsters told me you had already sent her on one!"

Jadeite chuckled. "Ah… well, you see Kunzite, I had a job for her to do as well. However, I asked her first, so tough luck!"

"What did you ask her? And why hasn't she returned yet?!" Kunzite demanded.

"Well, you see, I had a certain… inequity that needed to be rectified," Jadeite said in a diplomatic tone. "Unfortunately, due to my recent injuries, I could not carry out the task myself, so I sent Lady Blackwing instead. As for where she is…" He leaned in and whispered into Kunzite's ear. "Let's just say she got caught between a rock and a hard place… and a couple Sailor Soldiers."

Kunzite immediately grabbed his brother by the collar and lifted him into the air. "You idiot! Not only did you employ one of my monsters without permission, but now she's dead because of your stupidity!"

"Oh, calm down, brother," Jadeite chastised. "If you're so mad, then why don't you hit me?"

Without giving it a second thought, Kunzite slammed his fist into Jadeite's face, sending the blonde man reeling and stumbling to the ground. As Kunzite came down from his rage, he looked down at his little brother with deep regret. Jadeite looked up the the silver-haired knight, cupping his now bruised cheek.

"You… you actually hit me," Jadeite said quietly. "You never hit me!"

Kunzite reached out to the fallen man. "I-I'm sorry. I was just angry, I-" He was cut off by the sound of Jadeite beginning to laugh.

"You actually hit me!" Jadeite cried before cracking up like a madman. His laugh echoed throughout the castle's halls. "You're just full of surprises, big brother!"

As Jadeite continued to laugh maniacally, Kunzite turned around and walked away briskly, his brother's cackle still echoing behind him. He looked down at his still clenched fist as he walked. He had never struck Jadeite before… no matter how much he got on his nerves, he had promised himself that he would never stoop to the level of harming his own flesh and blood. So why had he done this? Jadeite had been through enough lately with Queen Metalia torturing him. Was the pressure of failing his great ruler finally getting to him? Kunzite shook his head. He couldn't do that. He couldn't allow his emotions to get the best of him. The time for failures was over.

_~A Suivre~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! We won't be hearing from Rei's father again for awhile, but he will play a big part eventually. Also, I hope you're all enjoying the relationship between Kunzite and Jadeite. I always felt those two were never done justice, so that's that I'm trying to do here.  
> Feel free to leave a review!


	7. Masquerade Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 7! You all should know what goes down in this chapter, if you've read the manga/watched the anime. Of course, I am changing a few things up, but it's more or less the same. The biggest change you'll probably notice will be towards the end. I won't spoil anything, but let's just say it's something even Naoko Takeuchi herself regrets writing. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 7: Masquerade Ball

"Crud, crud, crud, CRUD!" Usagi repeated over and over as she sprinted down the sidewalk towards school. No surprise, but she was late again.

Luna followed behind her, carrying a small bag in her mouth. "Usagi, wait up! You forgot your lunch!"

"I can survive one day without a lunch!" Usagi shouted back at the cat, not slowing down even for a second.

"You and I both know that's a lie!" Luna said, trying desperately to keep pace with the blonde.

As Usagi and Luna moved along at what they felt like was the speed of sound, they were suddenly outpaced by several cars driving by. There were two police cars, followed by a long white limo, and then two more police cars. Usagi came to a stop, but Luna failed to slow herself in time and crashed into the back of Usagi's leg.

"What the heck was that?" the blonde said in wonder. "It must be someone really important! Maybe there's a celebrity in town…" Off in the distance, the school bells rang, sending Usagi into a panic. "Eeek! That was the morning bell!" She reached down and picked up Luna, who was still dazed after colliding with Usagi. "C'mon Luna, this is no time for a nap!" She tucked the black cat under her arm and practically blasted off the pavement, running to school as fast as her petite legs could go.

* * *

 Usagi now sat hunched over at her desk, her head resting on her arms. Above her, Ms. Sakurada was doing her usual routine of lecturing Usagi on being late and how her tardiness would start affecting her grades. The bun-headed girl had heard it all so many times before, but it never ceased to make her pull the sad puppy dog face.

"Don't give me that look, young lady!" Sakurada snapped. "You have no one to blame but yourself here! If this ever happens again, your parents are going to hear from me!" She turned around and marched back over to her desk, leaving Usagi depressed and dejected.

"I wish I didn't have to start every day like this…" she whined. "Please, something cool happen to cheer me up…"

"Hey Usagi!" a cheerful voice called from across the classroom. Usagi saw her friend Naru waving at her with her phone in her hand. "Come check this out! It's so cool!"

The blonde girl stood up and bounded over to her redheaded friend. Naru showed her a news article on her phone, which read 'Princess D Comes to Tokyo! Lavish Ball will be held in Her Honor!' Usagi just stared blankly at the screen. "Um… who's Princess D?"

Naru's eyes went wide. "Are you serious?! She's the heir to the Queen of the D Kingdom, one of the wealthiest countries in the world! She's practically a celebrity!"

Usagi looked down at the picture of the Princess. She had on what looked like three-inch thick glasses. "She looks kinda funny with those glasses."

"Hey, don't you disrespect her!" Naru said, waving her finger disapprovingly. "If you don't believe me, look at this! They're holding a huge masquerade ball to honor her presence in Tokyo! All the richest people in the city are going to be there!"

Usagi was about to respond, but someone suddenly bumped into her. "Sounds quite extravagant. This princess must be a big deal after all." Usagi begrudgingly recognized the voice. Mamoru Chiba was back again.

"Why don't you go back to the hospital?!" Usagi nagged. "School was so much more fun when you weren't around!"

Naru looked sad. "But… Usagi, I wasn't here either."

Usagi quickly turned around and took her friends hand. "Oh, of course I didn't mean I wish you weren't here either! I couldn't get through a single day while you were gone!" She turned back to Mamoru and glared at him. "It's this jerk I wish would go away for good!" She unconsciously squeezed Naru's hand and caused her to yelp in pain.

Mamoru just smiled warmly, as he always did when Usagi insulted him. He walked over to Naru and put an arm around her. "Well, Naru couldn't be released until I was. It's almost like destiny is keeping us together or something," he chuckled.

Naru blushed. "Yeah… destiny…"

"GAAAH! Will you stop that?!"

Mamoru and Naru raised an eyebrow. "Stop what?" they said in sync, causing the two of them to blush again.

"That! Stop acting so lovey-dovey! I absolutely despise the fact that you two are going out, but at the same time you're so adorable together that it makes me want to support your relationship, even though I don't support your relationship because I really really don't like you Mamoru Chiba!" She took a deep breath before continuing. "Ugh! I don't even know what I'm saying anymore!"

"Well, at least we can agree on that," Mamoru said before looking down to Naru. "So, m'lady, would you care to accompany me to the masquerade ball tonight?"

Nari's eyes lit up. "Really?" She was about to accept, but then her expression faded. "Actually, we can't go. You need an invitation to attend the ball."

"An invitation, huh?" Mamoru said, sounding genuinely sad. "Oh well, maybe we can do something else then." He smiled again. "How about we go for a walk in the park tonight?"

"At night?" Naru said, her enthusiasm returning. "You're so romantic, Mamoru!"

Usagi squirmed uncomfortably. She honestly couldn't decide if she loved or hated seeing these two together.

* * *

 Ami's were fixed on a screen, where pixels flashed and moved at lightning-fast speeds. She had been called to the arcade by Luna for a 'Sailor Soldier meeting,' as the cat had put it, but the nerdy girl now found herself playing the Sailor V video game, which Usagi had gotten her addicted to. She held all the high scores on the leaderboard. Arcade attendees had admired her for this at first, but soon began to grow jealous of her skills. Even Motoki only allowed her to play for a short period of time now, as to not risk her taking another position on the leaderboard.

"Having fun there?"

Ami looked up and saw Rei standing next to her, wearing a casual sleeveless turtleneck and jeans. "Oh, Rei, you're here." She gestured to the Sailor V game. "Would you like to try?"

Rei shook her head. "Nah, I'm not a video game person. I've never played one in my life."

"C'mon, it's a lot of fun," Ami insisted. "You never know…"

The raven-haired girl sighed, but eventually sat down and paced her hands on the controls. The Sailor V sprite appeared on the screen, and Rei was off. Within a few minutes, she had beaten Level 1. "Huh, that wasn't so bad…" After many combos, button-mashes, and flashing numbers, Rei found herself unable to stop. In fact, she found herself smiling.

"Hey, great job! You're on the leaderboard!" Ami congratulated. Rei's name was indeed on the leaderboard, but only in 8th place. All the scores above her belonged to Ami, of course. "Not bad for your first try!" the blue-haired girl said, holding up both her hands.

Rei was a little confused by this gesture, but quickly realized she was attempting a high-five. She slowly raised her own hands and slapped them together with Ami's, causing the other girl to smile. Rei didn't usually give out high-fives, not even to her Tai Chi classmates, but she didn't want to admit that to Ami.

"Heyooo! I'm here!" a high-pitched voice rang from the front of the arcade. Ami and Rei looked over and saw Usagi standing there, with Luna at her feet.

Rei narrowed her eyes. "You're late, Bun-Head."

Usagi simply grinned at her. "Well, looks like you've been having fun in the meantime!" Realizing she was referring to her playing the video game, Rei quickly stood up and crossed her arms, causing Usagi to giggle.

Luna hopped up onto the Sailor V game. "I'm glad you all could make it. I'll start this meeting by reminding you of our mission. Usagi, do you remember it?"

"Of course I do! We're looking for… um… uh…" she stuttered.

"We're looking for the other Soldiers and the Moon Princess," Ami interjected.

"We're looking for the other Soldiers and the Moon Princess!" Usagi repeated loudly.

Luna sighed. "Correct, Usagi."

"Wait, why do we need to find the Moon Princess?" Rei asked. "We're not supposed to serve her or anything, are we?"

"No, but you are supposed to protect her. That is your duty as Sailor Soldiers," Luna informed. "She is the only one with the power to seal away the Dark Kingdom, and therefore we cannot let them get to her first." She turned back to the others. "It has come to my attention that a princess is actually visiting your city right now. After researching her and her reputation, I believe there is a chance she could be the Moon Princess we are looking for."

Usagi beamed. "You mean Princess D?"

Luna looked curiously at her. "How did you know that?"

"Naru told me! It was all over the news this morning!" she explained. "I even saw her arriving this morning is a big fancy limo!"

"Luna, you think she could be the Moon Princess?" Ami asked.

"Isn't that kind of assuming that all princesses could be the Moon Princess?" Rei said sarcastically.

Luna shook her head. "No, but I just have a strong feeling that Princess D is her. The only way we can know for sure is if we go to that masquerade ball and meet her."

"That's easier said than done. You need and invitation to get in there," Ami said.

Suddenly, Usagi chimed in, bearing a mischievous grin. "Fear not! I just got a genius idea for how we can get in!"

Rei glanced at her. "I doubt that…" she muttered.

"Normally I'd agree with you, Rei, but we're short on options here." The black cat turned to Usagi. "What's your plan?"

Though it seemed impossible, Usagi's smile grew wider. "You'll just have to wait and see! It's a surprise!"

"Usagi…" Luna began.

Ami's phone suddenly went off. She looked at it and jumped to her feet. "Actually, the plan's going to have to wait after all. I have cram school right now!"

Rei got up as well. "And I have a Tai Chi class in a half hour."

"It seems like everyone's busy right now. Very well, we'll all meet up at the ball tonight. Hopefully whatever Usagi's plan is will go over well," Luna said, sounding a little unsure.

Usagi just smiled and flashed a V-sign over her eyes. "Don't you worry! This plan will be the best plan in the history of plans!"

* * *

 Kunzite entered Queen Metalia's chamber, taking a knee in front of the glass sphere that held her essence. "Your majesty, you summoned me?"

"I did. I have a new task for you, Kunzite," the dark essence whispered. "Someone who goes by the name 'Princess D' is visiting Tokyo as we speak, and tonight she will be hosting a grand ball. I want you to go there and abduct her."

Kunzite's eyes widened. "You want me to abduct her?"

"Yes. I have reason to suspect that she could be the long lost Princess of the Moon Kingdom, and having her in my clutches would be most beneficial to my plan. Not to mention the vast energy she must possess…" Metalia spoke softly.

"Forgive me, my Queen, but I was referring to the fact that you want me to go there personally. That's what you meant?" Kunzite asked.

The Queen's essence froze. "That is what I meant. I believe this assignment is too important for any of your pathetic monsters to carry out. Therefore, I want you to go there yourself. Is that clear?"

Kunzite stood up and saluted Metalia, smiling a little as he did. "Of course, your majesty! And this time I won't let you down!"

"You had better not. This is by far the most important mission I've sent you on in centuries. I expect this to be your penance for the failure you've brought back these past few weeks," Queen Metalia hissed.

* * *

 "You can count on me, my Queen! And if the Sailor Soldiers interfere, I swear that I will crush them!" The silver-haired man clenched his fist as he finished his sentence. He then proceeded to back out of the room and shut the heavy marble doors. Kunzite could barely contain his excitement. This was his chance to redeem himself! To return to the Queen's good graces! But more importantly, he thought, it would be the end of Jadeite's suffering…

"I'm hooome!" Usagi called out as she slipped her shoes off in the foyer. "What's for sup-sup tonight?" As she entered the dining room she saw her father standing near the table, adjusting a long black tie around his neck.

"Oh, Usagi! Welcome home!" he said cheerily. "Sorry, but you're on your own for dinner tonight. Your mother got called in for work and I have a ball to attend." As he finished putting on the tie, he picked up a royal blue mask with hawk feathers attached to it.

Usagi's eyes widened. "Wait, YOU'RE going to Princess D's masquerade ball?!"

"Of course! I am a member of the press after all!" He strapped a large camera around his neck. "My boss expects me to get some great shots of the guests and the royal family, and I'd never deny him a front page picture!"

"Lucky!" Usagi pouted. "I wish I could go to the ball!"

Luna pawed at the blonde girl's leg and whispered to her so that her dad wouldn't notice her talking. "Um, Usagi, didn't you say you had a plan to-"

Before she could finish, Usagi reached down and clamped her hand over the cat's mouth, shutting her up. "Like I was saying, I wish I could to to the ball!" She was clearly faking her whining now.

Mr. Tsukino walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry, Usa. Someday you'll be old enough to go to a fancy ball like this. You'll get to wear a beautiful dress and dance with the most handsome man you've ever met!"

Usagi looked up at her dad with her signature puppy dog eyes. "You mean that, daddy?"

"I know you will!" he insisted. "It'll be just like all those fairy tales I read to you when you were little."

The small blonde girl pulled her tall dad into a tight hug. "You're the best, daddy! I love more than anything in the whole wide world!"

Mr. Tsukino patted his daughter's head. "And your mother too, right?"

"Oh, of course! I love you both equally!" Usagi corrected herself.

Her father simply chuckled. "I know, honey. And I love you too." He let go of the blonde girl and began to walk out the door. "I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures to show you later!" he said before making his exit.

"Bye-bye! Have a good time!" Usagi waved at him until he was out the door.

Luna looked confused. "So, what happened to that plan you said you had?"

"Don't worry! I haven't forgotten about it, and it's still gonna be the greatest plan ever!" Usagi chirped.

"Alright, so what is this 'brilliant plan' of yours?" the black cat asked, sounding a little agitated.

Usagi grinned like a giddy fangirl and whipped out her Disguise Pen. "Just you watch, Luna!"

"MOON POWER! Change me into… A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS!"

* * *

 It was a beautiful night in Tokyo. The skies were clear with not a cloud in sight, the stars were visible as far as the eye could see, and the Moon shined nearly as bright as the Sun. It was the perfect night for a ball. Wealthy people from all over the city gathered at Tokyo Grand Ballroom, where Princess D was hosting her lavish masquerade ball. People arrived in limos, expensive luxury cars, and party buses; women wore glamorous ball gowns in all lengths, colors, and styles, complete with sparkling necklaces, ring and bracelets, while men wore dashing penguin suits with colorful ties, shiny cufflinks, and stylish leather dress shoes. Of course, the one thing that the men and women shared in terms of attire was their masks. They all wore exotic masquerade masks that came in many colors, some studded with diamonds and other jewels, while others were lined with feathers from hawks, ostriches, and peacocks.

Ami and Rei stood outside the entrance to the ballroom, keeping their eyes on the front gates where everyone was entering. The gates were guarded by several big, strong men in black suits. The girls could tell they were tough since they were wearing sunglasses at night.

"This plan Usagi has better go over well," Rei said. "Because I do not want to pick a fight with those guys."

"I would like to avoid a confrontation as well," Ami agreed. She then turned to look at Rei's attire. "I must admit, you look quite lovely in that dress."

Rei blushed and looked away, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. She wore a long, elegant dress, red of course, that was tight around her midsection but became very flowy below her waist. She also wore a pair of red high heels, much like the ones she wore as Sailor Mars. "For the record, I absolutely despise dresses. Taking this out of my closet made me want to violently vomit up my internal organs."

Ami giggled. " But… weren't you wearing a skirt yesterday?"

"That's just casual clothes!" Rei defended herself. "Fancy dresses like this make me feel like a self-absorbed rich person…" She paused. "...like my father."

"Oh… I see," Ami said shyly. Both girls were suddenly surrounded by an aura of awkwardness. Thankfully, it was broken by the click-click-click of approaching high-heeled feet.

"Hi guys!" Usagi chirped. Ami and Rei looked at her, and immediately their eyes went as wide as dinner plates. Usagi was dressed in a long, extremely poofy pink princess dress that was covered in flowers and ribbons. She also had on a pair of heels, long, white gloves, and a silver gem-studded tiara. If not for her buns and pigtails, her two friends couldn't have recognized her.

Ami was in heaven. "Usagi, you look… well, you look…" she stuttered.

"Yes, Ami?" Usagi cooed, batting her eyes at the blue-haired girl.

Ami blushed profusely. "You look positively radiant!" she said loudly. The golden-haired girl looked like an angel out here in the moonlight. This was too much.

"I think you look like a big walking strawberry," Rei injected snobbishly.

"Why thank you, ReiRei! I guess that just means I look really sweet!" Usagi said with a wink. Rei just rolled her eyes.

Luna poked her head out of Usagi's purse. "Alright, Usagi. Time to put your master plan into motion."

"Right! Follow me, guys!" the blonde said before walking daintily towards the front gates. Ami and Rei followed her nervously, not knowing what to expect.

The three made it to the gates, only to be stopped by two of the big men in suits. "Invitations, please?" Rei and Ami grew even more nervous, but Usagi just stepped up to them and confidently puffed out her chest.

"Excuse me! I'll have you know that I am the great Princess Serena! And these are my two servants, Lady Mizuno and Mistress Hino."

The two other girls' jaws were on the floor, and Luna was repeatedly slapping her own face in Usagi's purse. Was she serious? Did she actually think they were going to fall for something so ridiculous?

"I'm sorry, Miss, but we still need to see an invitation," one guard said calmly.

Usagi got up in the man's face. "Princess D has personally requested for me to be at this ball! Shall I tell her that you were unwilling to let me in?!" She put on her best angry face and dug her pointer finger into the man's chest. He looked incredibly scared by the little girl.

"Uh… no, of course not! Go right on in, Miss Serena!" He gestured for the three to enter.

"PRINCESS Serena!" Usagi snapped as she walked past the guards, followed quickly by Ami and Rei.

"That is by far the dumbest thing you've ever done," Rei said. "But it worked, so I guess I can't complain…"

Ami smiled at her blonde friend. "You're acting skills are incredible, Usagi! He actually looked scared."

Usagi grinned brightly and flashed a V-sign. "I told you my plan was brilliant!" She yelped when Rei suddenly pulled on one of her pigtails.

"But don't ever call me your servant again!" she chastised. "Next time, I'm the princess and you're the servant, got it?"

"Reiiii! Why are you so mean to me?!" Usagi whined.

* * *

 The interior of the ballroom was truly a sight to behold. The walls and floor were marble, giant crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and a live orchestra sat at the front of the room, playing elegant dance tunes that sounded like they were from the Victorian era. Dozens of guests lined the dance look, whirling and twirling to the heavenly music.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" Usagi beamed. "I feel like I'm in Cinderella!"

Ami rubbed her arm. "I just hope no one asks me to dance…"

"I'm with you on that, sister," Rei agreed. "I bet half of those guys out there are only dancing with women hoping they'll get some… 'favors' later tonight."

"Geez Rei, you're a real mood killer, you know that?" Usagi pouted. "I hope I get to meet a really handsome guy tonight! Maybe it'll be love at first sight…"

Luna peeked out of Usagi's purse again. "C'mon Usagi, let's not forget why we're here. We need to find Princess D, find a way to earn her trust, and then find out if she's the Moon Princess."

"Oh, right, of course," Usagi sighed. "Sailor Soldiers, Mission Start!" The blonde girl suddenly clutched her stomach, feeling it growl violently. "...Right after I find the snack table."

"Didn't you eat dinner before we came here?!" Luna asked, sounding frustrated.

"Yeah, but all that thinking that went into my plan has made me hungry all over again!" Usagi groaned.

Rei raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "So… thinking makes you hungry?" She facepalmed herself. "Sometimes I wonder how you function at all…" The raven-haired girl was caught off guard when Usagi suddenly tossed her purse at her.

"Start the mission without me! I just need to fill my belly really quick!" With that, Usagi picked up her dress and headed off into the crowd of guests in search of food.

"Usagi!" Ami started to chase after her, but Rei grabbed her shoulder.

"I'll think we'll get this mission done a lot faster without her," she said, shaking her head.

Ami looked disappointed, but nodded her head in agreement. The two girls went off in their own direction to search for the Princess' room.

* * *

 Mr. Tsukino took picture after picture of the dancing guests. "Usagi is going to love these!" he smiled. "Of course, she'll probably make me buy one of these dresses for her when she sees them…"

Out of the order of his eye, the man spotted a woman in a long, puffy pink dress pushing her way through the crowd. What stuck out the most was the way her hair was done up: a pair of buns and long pigtails.

"She looks just like Usagi…" Mr. Tsukino thought it might actually be her, but then shook his head. "I guess that hairstyle is just popular these days." He continued to watch the woman, picturing his daughter in her shoes. "I wonder if Usagi will grow up to be that beautiful one day…" Soon enough, the golden-haired woman was out of sight, and Mr. Tsukino went back to taking pictures. "Now to get one of the Princess! Wherever she is…"

* * *

 After much aimless wandering, Usagi finally came upon a food table, lined with all kinds of fancy delicacies. Usagi drooled over the sight, unable to even name certain foods she saw. Nonetheless, they looked delicious, and that was all the hungry blonde needed to know! She quickly went to town, picking up a plate and taking one of everything from the various platters. She could almost be described as a thief with how much she was taking. Unfortunately, her incessant need for food made her lose sight of her surroundings, and she ended up bumping into a snooty-looking old woman in a long black dress. To make matters worse, the woman had been holding a champagne glass, and the drink was now spilled all over the skirt of Usagi's dress.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Usagi said, bowing to the woman.

"Watch where you're going!" the old woman said in a heavy foreign accent. She then turned around, chin held high, and walked briskly away from Usagi.

"Are all rich people that rude?" Usagi wondered. Her eyes then wandered down to her dress, and her eyes went wide at the sight of the spill. "Oh no! My dress! It's ruined!"

Even though the spill was barely noticable to anyone else, Usagi ran off in a panic looking for a place to clean it up. "Bathroom… bathroom… why is everything so hard to find here?!"

* * *

 Naru sat on the park bench, all alone in the middle of the grass and tree-filled area. It was getting late now, and Mamoru had said he would meet her at nine o'clock. So where was he?

"I really hope he didn't blow me off…" Naru said, the worry apparent in her voice. She looked left, then right, but still no sign of the dark-haired boy. She checked her phone, but saw no new messages. "No, he's not that kind of guy. He would let me know if something came up…"

A cool night breeze came along, causing Naru to wrap herself up in her sweater. She felt so lonely without him, as if a part of her that he had filled was suddenly stripped from her. The stranger thing was that it felt like she had felt this heartbreaking sensation before.

* * *

 Usagi found herself standing on a balcony outside the ballroom. She had no idea how she ended up there, though one could say it was the result of more aimless wandering. She was now inspecting her dress, whimpering over how ruined it was.

"I'm such an idiot!" She looked back at the guests in the ballroom, frowning at how much fun it looked like they were having. "No fair! Why does they one night I get to be a princess have to end like this?" Tears formed in her eyes and her bottom lip began to quiver. "WAAAAAHHH!"

"There's no need to cry, little lady," a voice came from behind her. She turned around and was shocked to see who it was.

"Tuxedo… M-Mask?" Usagi stuttered, still shaken up from crying. He was extending his hand to her, and when she looked down she saw that he was handing her a handkerchief. "Oh, thank you!" She took the handkerchief from him and proceeded to wipe as much of the wine off her dress as she could. "I'm sorry I look like such a mess now. I swear I'm usually a lot prettier than this…"

"What are you talking about?" Tuxedo Mask asked softly. "I think you look as beautiful as the Moon itself tonight."

Usagi's eyes lit up. "R-Really? That's so sweet…" she said, blushing lightly.

The handsome man held out his hand to her once again. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes!" the young girl respond instantly. "I mean… yes, of course, I'd love to dance with you!" she said more subdued and politely. She took ahold of Tuxedo Mask's hand, only to have him pull her swiftly back into the ballroom. Usagi's heart began pounding at a mile a minute. "I can't believe this… I'm about to dance with Tuxedo Mask!" she whispered to herself.

* * *

 Two tall, muscular guards stood outside a door at the end of a long hallway. Like the ones outside, they wore a pair of sunglasses indoors, for reasons unknown. One of them reached back and knocked on the door.

"Princess D?" he called. "Are you almost ready? The guests are awaiting your grand entrance."

The door cracked slightly open, revealing a young girl with extremely thick glasses and a ton of makeup on. "I still need to put on more makeup! If I go out like this, people are only going to look at my glasses!"

"Oh Princess, you look beautiful," one of the guards said, trying to console her.

"You guys are jerks!" Princess D said before slamming the door in their faces.

The two guards sighed. The Princess was being as insecure as ever. They turned back to the hall, only now they noticed a man in a white tuxedo with long, silver walking towards them. "Halt! Who are you?" they demanded, but the man kept coming. "Do you have business with the Princess? If so, then state your name!" The man continued to ignore them as he approached the door. "Sir, please back away now!" One of the guards reached out to the silver-haired man, only to be violently punched in the gut. He man was completely derived of air and fell to the ground unconscious. The second guard tried to grab him from behind, but the man brought up his elbow and smashed it into the guard's face, knocking him out as well.

"Weak humans," Kunzite sneered. He proceeded to open the door and step inside, finding Princess D sitting at her vanity table. She noticed him through her mirror and whirled around in shock.

"Who… who are you?" she asked nervously.

Kunzite smiled warmly at the young girl. "Hello, Princess. There's someone who would like to meet you, so please come with me."

Princess D lowered her head. "I-I can't… they're gonna think I look funny with these glasses…"

She suddenly felt a pair of fingers in her chin. They lifted her head up to face Kunzite, who was now kneeling next to her. "Don't be ridiculous. You look pretty just as you are."

The Princess blushed. "Y-You think so? Nobody's ever complimented me like that before…" She was about to continue, but Kunzite suddenly placed his hand on her forehead. Instantly, the girl's vision went black and her mind was subdued. Her now limp body slumped forward into Kunzite's arms.

"Come, sweet Moon Princess. You have an appointment with the great Queen Metalia…" Kunzite said, grinning. Suddenly, he heard the door swing wide open and slam into the wall. He turned around to see two young girls standing in the doorway, one with long black hair and the other with short blue hair.

"Princess D!" the blue-haired one cried.

"Get out of my way!" Kunzite shouted. He swung his arm, generating a wave of black energy that struck the two girls and slammed them against the wall. "Dammit!" He dashed out of the room, carrying the unconscious princess over his shoulder.

"No… he's getting away…" Rei said weakly.

Luna ran into the room, spotting the two girls and panicking. "Ami! Rei! What happened?"

"A man kidnapped the princess… I think he's with the Dark Kingdom!" Ami said.

"Quickly, transform and go after him! I'll try and find Usagi!" Luna said before running out of the room.

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

 Usagi swooned as Tuxedo Mask pulled her towards him. It was finally happening. She was finally going to get to dance with the man she admired so much! Her heart was pounding out of her chest, both out of excitement and anxiety. She had never danced with a man like this before. She had done play dancing with her father when they played Princess together, but this was totally different. The young girl began sweating and even trembling a little at the thought of screwing up her first dance with someone she had a crush on.

"Is something wrong?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

Usagi snapped out of her panicked state and let out a fake giggle. "S-Sorry, I'm just a little nervous…"

The tall man smiled. "Don't be. Just follow my lead."

Usagi felt him take a step back, and she quickly took a step forward. The two began swaying awkwardly from side to side. Usagi was internally chastising herself, thinking she looked positively ridiculous. However, as she looked up into her partner's eyes, she was met with a warm and welcoming gaze that held her spellbound. With that one look Usagi's movements suddenly became more relaxed and less awkward. The two's dancing became more fluid and graceful, to the point where Tuxedo Mask decided to try spinning Usagi and lowering her into his arms. Usagi was taken off guard by the this, but by this point it just felt natural. She looked up into the man's calming dark eyes, almost feeling compelled to lean up and kiss him…

"Usagi!" The moment was broken by the sound of Luna's voice calling her. She turned around and saw the black cat running over, a look of panic on her face. "Princess D is being kidnapped by a monster! The others need your help!"

"But…" she began, but when she turned back to Tuxedo Mask, she was surprised to see that he had disappeared. She felt incredibly disappointed that her dance with him had been interrupted, but realized that there were more important matters at hand now. "Right, sorry!" She picked up her dress and ran out of the ballroom to an empty hallway. She took one last look to make sure no one was around, then held up her Transformation Brooch.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

 Kunzite finally made his way out of the ballroom and onto a long balcony that seemed to wrap around the entire building. He smiled back at the Princess, who was still unconscious. "Time to meet your master, dear Princess…"

"STOP!"

Kunzite turned around to see where the voice came from, only to come face-to-face with two girls in sailor outfits, one blue and one red.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

Kunzite just chuckled to himself. "Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

"Release Princess D right now!" Mars said, striking a battle pose. "Or suffer the consequences!"

"Foolish soldiers… you have no idea just who you're dealing with…" Kunzite said before raising his hand. A black sphere sparking with purple lighting formed above his palm.

"SHADOW BALL!"

Kunzite hurled the projectile at the two soldiers, but they quickly jumped out of the way and avoided the attack. Sailor Mars charged right at the man and threw a flurry of knife-hands and kicks at him, all of which he dodged with relative ease. Kunzite then threw his own punch at Mars, but the Soldier of Fire managed to catch it. Now with him in her grasp, she took aim and threw another knife-hand directly at his throat, but she was forced to stop short when Kunzite pulled the Princess in the path of her attack. Thankfully, she managed to stop herself before accidentally hitting the innocent girl. Unfortunately, Kunzite took advantage of this and kicked Mars directly in the chest, sending her flying back across the roof.

"Mars!" Ami screamed. She watched as the raven-haired girl landed hard on her back.

"MERCURY AQUA-"

Before she could finish her attack, she was struck in the chest with another of Kunzite's Shadow Ball attacks. She was knocked across the balcony and landed next to Mars.

"Damn you!" Sailor Mars shouted. She rose to her feet and formed a fireball in her hand.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Mars threw the fireball with all her might, aiming for Kunzite's head, but the silver-haired man just smiled, almost with a look of pity. As the fireball approached him, he simply smacked it away, causing it to land in the courtyard below the balcony and set the grass on fire.

"Oh no! We can't let that spread!" Mercury said, struggling to her feet.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The Soldier of Water sent her mist attack flying over the edge of the balcony, sprinkling the cold vapor onto the flames below.

"Such low-grade attacks. I don't even see why I'm bothering to fight you," Kunzite mocked.

Mars gritted her teeth in anger. "How can a monster be this strong?"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Mercury, Mars, and Kunzite all turned to see where the voice was coming from and saw Sailor Moon standing in the doorway to the balcony. "You there, monster! Kidnapping the princess on the night of her lovely masquerade ball is unforgivable!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

Luna ran up next to Sailor Moon but froze as soon as she saw Kunzite. "No… no! Not him!"

"Luna, who is this guy? I thought you said he was a monster," Sailor Moon asked.

"He's no monster… he's the leader of the Dark Kingdom's army!" Luna said, panicked.

"WHAT?!" Moon, Mercury and Mars all said in shock and unison.

"That's correct," the silver-haired man said. "I am Kunzite, Dark Knight of Shadows and second in command to Queen Metalia herself!" he announced. "Now you see how helpless you are, Sailor Soldiers!"

"L-Luna…" Usagi stammered. "I'm scared…" Tears began to form in the girl's eyes yet again.

"Don't be a coward, Sailor Moon!" Mars chastised. "The Princess' life is in our hands! Now throw your tiara at him!"

"You don't have to be so harsh!" Usagi cried.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara, turned it into a disk, and threw it at Kunzite. But, without even blinking, the Knight caught it between his pointer finger and middle finger. Grinning devilishly, he squeezed his two fingers together and crushed the tiara into shards. The Sailor Soldiers were shocked. "M-My tiara!" Moon cried.

"I told you you're helpless against me. Shall I demonstrate further?" He raised his pointer finger towards Sailor Moon. Its tip began to glow purple.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN!"

From the purple light, a black steel chain shot forward and snaked around Sailor Moon body, ensnaring her torso. "I hope you aren't afraid of heights…" Kunzite whipped the chain to the side, throwing Sailor Moon across the balcony and over the edge.

"Sailor Moon!" Mercury and Mars cried out.

Sailor Moon screamed in terror as she began to plunge toward the ground below. She thought this might be it for her, but suddenly she felt something grab her arm and stop her fall. She looked up and was overjoyed to see Tuxedo Mask leaning over the edge of the balcony and holding onto her. "Tuxedo Mask!"

"Hang on… Sailor Moon!" the man grunted as he tried pull Moon back up.

"You're only delaying the inevitable!" Kunzite shouted.

"SHADOW BALL!"

The ball of dark energy slammed into Tuxedo Mask's back, causing him to shout in pain and lose his footing. He slipped over the balcony railing and began falling along with Sailor Moon.

"No!" Luna cried. She quickly ran over to the balcony and called down to the two. "Sailor Moon! Take out your Disguise Pen and click it!"

Not wanting to argue at this point, Sailor Moon held on tight to Tuxedo Mask and clicked her Disguise Pen. In an instant, the pen extended to about two feet long, with the top billowing out into a nylon canopy. The pen had turned into an umbrella! Moon and Mask were now drifting steadily towards the ground, the umbrella acting like a parachute. Sailor Moon turned around and gazed into her hero's eyes, seeing that he was returning the longing stare. It felt like time had slowed down around the two as they held onto each other, safely approaching the grass below. Unfortunately, the romantic moment came to an end as their feet touched down on the ground and they let each other go.

"That was too close…" Sailor Moon sighed with relief. She was caught off guard though when Tuxedo Mask grasped her chin and lifted her head up to face him.

"Thank you, Sailor Moon. Today, you were the one who saved me." Usagi was about to respond, but all words left her mind as she felt Tuxedo Mask plant a feather-light kiss on her forehead. The girl was at a loss for words. She tried to think of something to say, but by now the dark-haired man had turned around and ran off into the night, leaving her dumbfounded in the grassy courtyard.

She reached up and touched her forehead. "He… kissed me…" The blonde girl truly thought she was in a fairy tale now. True, it hadn't been a kiss on the lips, but it was still a kiss, wasn't it? It had to mean something…

Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of her friends screaming, no doubt due to Kunzite's attacks. "I have to get back up there and help them!" She started to run, but stopped herself. "But… I'm powerless without my tiara," she lamented, remembering what Kunzite had done. Suddenly, the Soldier of Love felt a strange warmth spread across her forehead. It was hot, yet it felt like it was giving her strength. When the heat died down, she felt a cold metal band around her forehead. "A new tiara?" Sailor Moon said, touching the new jewelry. "That's the spot where he kissed me… did he do this?" A dozen questions flowed through the girl's mind, but she soon realized there was no time for them. She had to save her friends from Kunzite!

* * *

 "MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Sailor Mercury sent forth another cloud of mist at Kunzite, which surrounded him and limited his vision to nearly nothing. He looked from side to side, trying to see where the next attack would come from. Out of nowhere, he felt a pair of arms lock around his neck and pull him into a hold. The blue-haired soldier had snuck up and him and now had him in a headlock.

"Sailor Mars! Now!" Mercury called out.

Kunzite looked over and saw Sailor Mars summon another fireball into her hand and rear back, preparing to throw it.

"FIRE SOUL!"

"SHADOW BALL!"

Mars and Kunzite each threw their respective attacks at each other. They collided at the center of the space between them, but the Fire Soul was easily destroyed by the Shadow Ball, which then continued on its path and smashed into Mars, knocking her to the ground.

"No! Ma-" Mercury's cry was cut off by Kunzite smashing his elbow into her stomach, pushing all the air out of her lungs. She let go of his neck and clutched her stomach, only to be kicked in the chest by the Knight of Shadows. Mercury fell to the ground, in pain and barely conscious, while Kunzite stood over her and laughed.

"I'm disappointed, Sailor Soldiers. I thought you would at least put up more of a fight than this." He took a step back and held tight to Princess D, who was still slumped over his shoulder. "My work here is done. I shall be taking the Moon Princess back with me to the Dark Kingdom!"

Kunzite was about to make a move, but he was startled by a faint breeze blowing against his back, followed by a shadow being cast over him. He looked behind him and saw a dark figure was now in front of the Moon. The Moon's light behind the figure almost made it look like a solar eclipse. After a moment, the figure flew back down and landed on the balcony railing. It was Sailor Moon.

"So, you managed to escape death. It appears I underestimated you…" His eyes drifted up to her forehead, upon which they went wide. Her tiara was back, but it was different. Where the single red gem had once been, there was now a crown-shaped stud with three smaller red gems built into it. A wave-shaped pattern also lined the band of the tiara. "How? I destroyed it!"

Sailor Moon wasn't listening. She looked to her right and saw Sailor Mars lying on the ground, her body still sparking with dark energy. She looked to the left and saw Sailor Mercury clutching her stomach and gasping for breath. Then she looked back to Kunzite and narrowed her eyes. "You're gonna pay for hurting my friends, Kunzite!"

Kunzite panicked for a minute, but quickly regained his confidence and chuckled. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

"Well… um…" The blonde heroine tried to think of something. She hadn't exactly planned this far ahead.

"Sailor Moon!" She heard Tuxedo Mask's voice again, and saw the man now standing in the doorway to the balcony. "The only way to stop a darkness this powerful is with a stronger light!"

Luna stepped up next to Tuxedo Mask. "He's right! Use your new tiara to reflect the light of the Moon onto Kunzite!"

Sailor Moon didn't know exactly what they meant by this, but then she felt something at the back of her mind. It was a voice calling out to her, just like when she had first transformed. She knew exactly what to do now. She reached up to her new tiara, squeezing the crown stud between her pointer finger and thumb.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

The three gems on the tiara each began to glow white like the moon. True to the attack's name, a brilliant white light flashed from the gems, shining across the entire balcony. Kunzite began to feel his body tingle, then stung, then burn. He looked down to his body and saw that his clothes and skin were smoking. The light from the tiara was burning him! The immense pain caused by this forced him to drop Princess D.

"I won't be subdued by this!" he roared in anger and in pain.

"SHADOW BALL!"

As soon as the dark energy ball appeared, it disintegrated. "The light… it's negating my powers!" He felt the burning sensation across his body begin to grow. It felt like he was about to catch fire. "I'll be back, Sailor Moon!" Quickly, Kunzite opened up an invisible door, just like the one Nephrite and Zoisite used to escape, and jumped through it, disappearing from the battle scene.

The light from Sailor Moon's new attack slowly faded, and Sailor Moon stepped down from the railing. "He's gone…" She heard the sound of grunting, and looked over to see Mars and Mercury slowly getting back up. "Guys! Are you okay?" The blonde girl ran over to her friends.

"Usagi, you did it…" Mercury congratulated, still sounding a little winded from the blow from Kunzite.

"A new attack, huh?" Mars said with a smirk. "When do I get one of those?"

Usagi giggled. "Maybe you just need to try harder, ReiRei!" This generated a scowl from the raven-haired girl.

The three of them heard a faint sigh, and they looked down to see Princess D waking up. To their shock, the Princess, who was known for looking ridiculous with her three-inch thick glasses, was actually incredibly beautiful, with shimmering green eyes and long fluttering eyelashes. "Where… am I? My glasses…" The young girl felt around the ground and picked up her glasses, putting them on and returning to her usual self.

"I guess Kunzite wasn't the only one who underestimated someone tonight…" Usagi said.

"What do you think, Luna?" Ami asked. "Is she the Moon Princess?"

Luna focused her senses, causing the crescent moon on her forward to glow, but it quickly died down. "No, she's not. I don't sense any power from her."

"Well, that's disappointing," Rei said disheartenedly. "We should help her get back inside. The guests are probably wondering where their host is."

* * *

 Kunzite collapsed onto the floor, hugging himself and squeezing the burnt skin on his body. He was now back in the Dark Kingdom, but the scars from his battle still remained fresh on his body. "Damn it all…" he groaned. The silver-haired man pulled back his sleeves, revealing several red and black patches on his skin, some still smoking. He had never experience damage or pain like this before. What exactly happened back there? Did he have a weakness to the Moon's light due to his powers coming from pure darkness? Suddenly, he heard a pair of footsteps approaching him. He looked up and saw a man with long, reddish brown hair standing a few feet away from him. "Nephrite!" Kunzite cried out in relief. "Please… help me!"

Nephrite simply shook his head and clicked his tongue. "The great and powerful Kunzite, on the ground and begging for my help. I don't believe I've ever seen a more tragic sight. Or a more pathetic one…"

"What did you say?!" Kunzite said angrily. "I'm your superior! I order you to help me get to the infirmary!"

"If you're so superior, then get yourself to the infirmary." Nephrite turned his back to the fallen man and began to walk away, but he stopped and turned back to him once more. "I will always respect the warrior you once were, Kunzite. But not this failure you've become." The brunette continued on his way, leaving the injured Kunzite behind.

"Get back here, Nephrite!" Kunzite shouted, rage eminent in voice. However, tears began to swim in the Knight's eyes. "I promise you will know my… my wrath!" he roared, his voice breaking a little at the end.

* * *

 "Attention everyone!" Princess D chirped into a microphone. "I want to thank you all for coming out to this lovely masquerade ball tonight! I have truly enjoyed visiting Tokyo, and I hope to return again sometime soon!" She gestured to the orchestra below her. "And now, please give a big hand to the orchestra, as they play their final song for tonight! Thank you all once again!"

With that, the conductor raised his baton and began waving it at the musicians. The orchestra began playing a slow, romantic symphony that sounded like something out of a love story. Couples began pairing up and heading for the dance floor. Men placed their hands on their partners hips, and women wrapped their arms around their partners necks, and they swayed from side to side in perfect unison.

Usagi, now de-transformed and back in her princess gown, watched the couples dance with great jealousy. "The last dance of the night and I'm all alone…"

"Excuse me," a familiar voice said. Usagi looked over and saw Tuxedo Mask bowing and holding his hand out to her. "I believe the two of us have a dance to finish."

Usagi broke into a joyous smile and happily took the man's hand. They made their way out onto the dance floor and assumed the same position as the other guests, rocking back and forth to the gorgeous music that echoed throughout the ballroom.

From a distance, Ami watched Usagi and Tuxedo Mask dancing. Her heart ached when she saw the affectionate look in Usagi's eyes. As much as the thought tore her heart apart, there was no doubt in her mind that the golden-haired beauty was in love.

"Hey Ami," Rei said. She had been standing next to Ami and took note of the girl's demeanor. "Why the long face?"

"Oh, nothing," Ami lied. "It's just… when your a brainy girl like me, nobody wants to dance with you."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you didn't want anyone to ask you."

"Yeah, but now that I'm seeing all these couples, I guess I'm just feeling kinda left out." Ami wished she could tell Rei why she was really depressed, but she was afraid of what her friend might say, and if she would end up telling Usagi.

"Well… do you want to dance with me?"

Ami was shocked by what she heard. She looked up and saw Rei was now holding a hand out to her. The blue-haired girl didn't know what to do. She had wished this would have been between her and Usagi, but it was clear to her that that wasn't going to happen now. Besides, Rei was her friend, and she was quite a beautiful girl. "Okay… yeah, I'd love to!" she said, sounding more excited with each word.

Ami took Rei's hand, allowing the Soldier of Passion to lead her onto the dance floor. Rei placed her hands on Ami's hips, and Ami put her hands on Rei's shoulders. They listened carefully to the orchestra and began gracefully moving from side to side. The two smiled at each other, gazing into each others eyes and letting the music take hold of their movements. It may not have been romantic, but it still made the two girls happy. Usagi saw them from across the dance floor, smiling lightly to herself before refocusing on Tuxedo Mask. The two couples continued to dance even as the orchestra played its last notes, all of their hearts content and happy. The night was truly at peace.

_~A Suivre~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No offense to Naoko, but I've always hated Mamoru kissing a drunk/unconscious Usagi. It's not romantic or cute; it's creepy. We won't be seeing an official kiss between these two for a long time. That being said, hope you all liked my version of the ending!  
> Feel free to leave a review!


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